The Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy at the University of Utah is vibrant and growing, with seven faculty added to the department in the past three years, including four assistant professor hires. We continue to expand our strength in developmental biology, including early embryonic development, neurogenesis, and synapse formation, as well as in functional neuroscience, utilizing molecular and genetic approaches as well as physiology and behavior. The department is an integral part of campus-wide neuroscience and developmental biology communities.
We are strongly committed to graduate and postdoctoral training, emphasizing both research excellence and professional development. We also have a strong tradition of excellence in medical education and scholarship.
We are very pleased to welcome two new faculty to the department in 2019:
Dr. Moriel Zelikowsky received her Ph.D in Psychology from UCLA in 2011, where she investigated the role of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in fear learning, memory and extinction in the laboratory of Michael Fanselow. She then pursued her postdoctoral training in the Department of Biology and Biological Engineering at Caltech in the laboratory of David J. Anderson, where she identified a role for the neuropeptide Tac2 in the control of prolonged social isolation stress.
Moriel will combine her expertise in animal behavior and systems neuroscience towards investigating the neural circuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying stress, anxiety and social behavior. By applying cutting-edge molecular genetic tools to further our understanding of animal behavior and emotion, she aims to identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of mental health-related disorders such as PTSD, anxiety and depression.
Dr. Jim Heys was awarded a Ph.D. in Neuroscience in 2013 working with Dr. Michael Hasselmo at Boston University where he examined the neural encoding of 3D space and discovered fundamental differences in the way species represent their own location. He then pursued postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Daniel Dombeck at Northwestern University where he discovered principles for the topographic organization of cells that encode spatial information in the brain, and also identified neuronal populations in the hippocampus that represent elapsed time and are involved in representation of space and time for episodic memory.
The overarching goal of Jim’s research is to understand the neural mechanisms by which memories are encoded and recalled in the brain. He uses cellular and subcellular resolution functional imaging methods to monitor and manipulate the activity of hundreds of neurons simultaneously in the intact brain of the mouse during memory guided behavior. Ultimately, he will investigate how specific neural mechanisms that underlie memory formation may breakdown in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Jason Shepherd, Ph.D., assistant professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy at University of Utah Health, is one of 17 recipients of the inaugural Ben Barres Early Career Acceleration Award from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative. ... Read More
Neurobiology and Anatomy
Jason Shepherd was awarded the Ben Barres Early Career Acceleration Award from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.... Read More
Neurobiology and Anatomy
Maureen L. Condic, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy at University of Utah Health and University Ombudsman, has been named a member of the National Science Board (NSB) by the White House. ... Read More
Neurobiology and AnatomyThe Bonkowsky Lab was awarded an R21/R33 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).... Read More
Neurobiology and AnatomyJosh Bonkowsky is the new Division Chief of Pediatric Neurology in the Department of Pediatrics, and Director of the Precision Medicine Program at Primary Children's.... Read More
Neurobiology and AnatomyThe Yost Lab has published a paper in Nature Communications.... Read More
Neurobiology and Anatomy
