Anita Disney
Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
There are two broad branches of research in the Disney lab:
The primary goal of our Basic Research is to determine the role(s) that neuromodulators such as acetylcholine, noradrenaline, serotonin, and oxytocin play in specifying functional connectivity across the wired circuitry of the brain, and how this dynamic circuit specification supports flexible behavior in the healthy brain.
The core goal of our Disease-Focused Research is understanding the neurochemical changes that occur in the pre-clinical phase (i.e 20-30 years before symptom onset and diagnosis) of late-onset Alzheimer's Disease. Late onset AD accounts for >95% of the disease burden and is not genetically determined, which means it is not well-modeled by the transgenic mice commonly used in AD research and is less well-understood than familial AD.
We are a question-driven lab, and so the techniques we employ are diverse. Where the technique we need in order to answer our question doesn't exist, we work to develop it.
Our current tools include a novel biosensor that combines classical electrophysiological recording capabilities with the ability to measure the local chemical environment at high spatial and temporal resolution; we also combine electrophysiological recording with pharmacological manipulation to examine causal relationships between neuromodulation, neuronal activity and behavioral performance. Our current analysis methods include the tools of analytic chemistry, including mass spectrometry-based proteomics and metabolomics. Because we believe that structure constrains function, we anchor all of our research in a solid understanding of cortical anatomy. Where these data don't exist, we generate them which means we also study the anatomy of neuromodulatory systems in cortex from a comparative perspective at both the light and electron microscopic levels.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
- Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2019
- Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers 2018
- Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences 2018
Contact Information
- 311 Research Drive, Durham, NC 27710
- DUMC Box 3209, Durham, NC 27710
-
anita.disney@duke.edu
-
Disney lab website
Some information on this profile has been compiled automatically from Duke databases and external sources. (Our About page explains how this works.) If you see a problem with the information, please write to Scholars@Duke and let us know. We will reply promptly.