Arminda Suli
Brigham Young University, UT·Neuroscience
A region of the midbrain called the superior colliculus helps decide which sights, sounds and touches deserve attention and guides quick responses to them. Growing evidence links this region to autism spectrum disorder and to neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson disease and Lewy body dementia.
- Fields
Neuroscience
Biology
- Topics
zebrafish
optic tectum
superior colliculus
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Feb 2027
What they work on
- Track in living zebrafish how the redox state (balance of oxidation and reduction) of different cell compartments in optic tectum neurons changes during normal development and after valproic acid (VPA) treatment.
- Determine when the different neuron subtypes of the zebrafish optic tectum are generated and whether VPA-induced redox changes alter their formation.
- Test how redox changes restricted to the optic tectum, the zebrafish counterpart of the superior colliculus, affect tectum-driven behaviors.
More about the research
For its circuits to work, neurons must develop into the right types at the right time. One possible regulator is the cell's redox state, its balance of chemical reduction and oxidation, which can chemically modify proteins and change how they work. This project asks how redox changes during development shape this brain region and the behaviors it controls.
Why it matters
Because the superior colliculus is linked to autism and VPA exposure in the womb is associated with higher autism rates, this work could shed light on molecular and cellular causes of autism spectrum disorder. It may also inform understanding of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson disease and Lewy body dementia, that involve the same brain region.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Arnaldo Carreira-Rosario
Duke University, NC·Neuroscience·Early-career
Identify the neurons that start spontaneous network activity in the Drosophila larval locomotor circuit and the mechanism by which they trigger it.
Jianhua Cang
University of Virginia, VA·Neuroscience
Confirm that Cbln4-positive neurons in the mouse superficial superior colliculus are inhibitory and direction selective, map their shape and connections, and manipulate them to test whether they adjust motion responses based on surrounding context.
The school
Brigham Young University: 4 labs on PI Pages, $158M a year on research, 114 research doctorates a year.
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