David Krizaj

David Krizaj, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences , Adjunct - Neurobiology

Academic Office Information

david.krizaj@hsc.utah.edu

Research Interests

  • Glaucoma
  • Mechanisms of Calcium Homeostasis
  • Diabetic Retinopathy
  • Vision
  • Neuron-Glia Interaction
  • TRPV1
  • Astrocytes
  • Synaptic Transmission
  • Retina
  • Retinal Degeneration and Cell Biology
  • Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Cellular mechanisms of neurotoxicity and the role calcium plays in neuropathological disorders

Research Statement

David Krizaj's Laboratory is interested in the relationship between intracellular signaling pathways and neurotransmission in the retina. The lab is interested in how non-conventional signaling pathways such as intracellular calcium stores, calcium transporters, and store-operated calcium channels collaborate with voltage-operated signals to modulate graded exocytosis. For example, recent experiments elucidated the roles of ryanodine receptors, mitochondria and TRPC channels in spatiotemporal calcium signaling in photoreceptors, glial cells, and retinal ganglion neurons. Other projects focus on how TRP channels integrate temperature, mechanical stress, and lipid signals, and how translation of these sensory inputs impacts on parallel light-evoked inputs and survival in ganglion cells. A third project is focused on using in vivo multiphoton imaging to define the physiology of microglia within the retina.

Publications from Dr. Krizaj

Education History

Postdoctoral Fellowship University of California San Francisco
 Postdoctoral Fellow
Graduate Training New York University
 MS
Doctoral Training New York University
 PhD
Graduate Training University of Ljubljana, School of Medicine
Undergraduate University of Ljublijana
 BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Lakk M, Yarishkin O, Baumann JM, Iuso A, Krizaj D (2017). Cholesterol regulates polymodal sensory transduction in Muller glia. Glia, 65(12), 2038-2050. (Read full article)
  2. Szikra T, Krizaj D (2006). The dynamic range and domain-specific signals of intracellular calcium in photoreceptors. Neuroscience, 141(1), 143-55. (Read full article)
  3. Duncan JL, Yang H, Doan T, Silverstein RS, Murphy GJ, Nune G, Liu X, Copenhagen D, Tempel BL, Rieke F, Krizaj D (2006). Scotopic visual signaling in the mouse retina is modulated by high-affinity plasma membrane calcium extrusion. J Neurosci, 26(27), 7201-11. (Read full article)