Dr. White is an active basic scientist, an educator and a mentor in the DPT Program.  His training and scientific practice have made him a recognized expert in the structure of the human brain, the organization of the visual parts of the brain, and the influence of experience on brain development in early life.  He is also a co-author and co-editor of a major textbook of neuroscience and a digital atlas of the human central nervous system, and he is the current recipient of the DPT Program’s “Excellence in Teaching” award.

 

Academic Appointments

Assistant Professor

Department of Community and Family Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy Division 

Department of Neurobiology       

Director of Education, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

Associate Director for Undergraduate Studies in Neuroscience

                                                               

 

Education

Duke University , postdoctoral fellow, 1992-1999
Washington University, Ph.D. (neural biology), 1992
Oral Roberts University , M.B.S., 1987
Oral Roberts University , B.S. 1985 

 

Teaching Responsibilities

Duke University School of Medicine - Doctor of Physical Therapy curriculum

 

Neuroscience (PT 311); Human & Clinical Anatomy (PT 301); Portfolio (PT 510); Mentor, Evidence Based Practice Capstone (PT 508); Facilitator, Professional Development Seminar (PT 306) 

 

Duke University School of Medicine – Doctor of Medicine curriculum

 

Primary Course Director and Instructor, Brain & Behavior (MS1; NEUROBIO 202)

Research

Functional architecture of the cerebral cortex
Role of sensory experience in brain development
Effects of aging and disease on white matter pathways in the human brain

Brain circuits and cognition in normal aging

Impact of disease on functional connectivity in the human brain  

Selected Publications 

Provenzale JM, van Landingham K, White LE (2009) Clinical and imaging findings suggesting human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis. Journal of Pediatric Neurology [doi:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2009.07.014].

 

Li Y, Van Hooser SD, Mazurek M, White LE, Fitzpatrick D (2008) Experience with moving visual stimuli drives the early developments of cortical direction selectivity. Nature 456, 952-956

 

Provenzale JM, vanLandingham KE, Lewis DV, Mukundan S Jr, White LE (2008) Extrahippocampal involvement in human herpesvirus 6 encephalitis depicted at MR imaging. Radiology 249:955-63.

 

White LE, Fitzpatrick D (2007) Vision and cortical map development. Neuron 56:327-338.

 

Provenzale JM, Liang L, DeLong D, White LE. (2007) Diffusion -weighted and diffusion tensor imaging assessment of brain white matter maturation during the first postnatal year. American Journal of Roentgenology 189:10.2214/AJR.07.2132.

 

Li Y, Fitzpatrick D, White LE (2006) The development of direction selectivity in ferret visual cortex requires early visual experience. Nautre Neuroscience 9:676-681. [published with accompanying "New and Views" editorial by F. Sengpiel, Nature Neuroscience 9:591-592]

 

Basole A, White LE, Fitzpatrick D (2003) Mapping multiple stimulus features in the population response of visual cortical neurons. Nature 423:986-990.

 

White LE, Coppola DM, Fitzpatrick D (2001) The contribution of sensory experience to the maturation of orientation selectivity in ferret visual cortex. Nature 411:1049-1052.

 

Coppola DM, White LE, Fitzpatrick D, Purves D (1998) Unequal representation of cordinal and oblique contours in ferret visual cortex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 95:2621-2623.

 

White LE, Andrews TJ, Hulette C, Richards A, Groelle M, Paydarfar J, Puryes D (1997a,b) Structure of the human sensorimotor system I. Morphology and cytoarchitecture of the central sulcus. II. Lateral symmetry. Cerebral Cortex 7:18-47.

 

Purves D, Augustine GJ, Fitzpatrick D, Hall WC, LaMantia A, McNamara JO, White LE, eds: Neuroscience, 4th ED. Sunderland MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc. (2008).

 

Sylvius 4: An Interactive Atlas and Visual Glossary of Human Neuroanatomy, by S. Mark Williams, Leonard E. White and Andrew C. Mace. Durham NC: Pyramis Studios, Inc. and Sunderland MA: Sinauer Associates, Inc. (2007)

 

Sylvius MR: Atlas of the Human Brain for iPhone, by Leonard E. White and S. Mark Williams. Durham NC: Modality, Inc. and Pyramis Studious, Inc. (2008) (application for the Apple iPhone and ipod-touch)

 

 

Awards and Honors

Individual National Research Service Award, “Direction Selectivity and Horizontal Connection in V1”, 1996

 

Senior Fellow of the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, Duke University Medical Center, July, 2001

 

2002 Summer Research Institute sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (participation by application and invitation)

 

Whitehall Foundation, Inc. Research Grant, “Contributions of Sensory Experience to Visual Cortical Development”, 2003

 

2003 Affiliated Faculty of the Duke University Center for Cognitive Neuroscience

 

2007 recipient of Oral Roberts University Biology Alumnus of the Year

 

2007 recipient of The Jan K. Richardson, PT, PhD, OCS Excellence in Teaching Award (elected by first-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students)

 

 

FReD Publications