Annalisa Scimemi
Annalisa Scimemi | |
---|---|
Occupation | Neuroscientist |
Academic background | |
Education | B.S., Università di Pisa Ph.D.,Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste |
Academic work | |
Discipline | Biophysics |
Institutions | State University of New York at Albany National Institutes of Health |
Annalisa Scimemi (born 1975) is a neuroscientist on the faculty of the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY).
Early life and education
[edit]Born in Tuscany in 1975,[1] Annalisa Scimemi studied biological sciences at the Università di Pisa (1993–1998) as a first-generation college student.[2] Scimemi earned her Ph.D. in biophysics from Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy, studying rhythmic circuits as they relate to locomotor-like behaviors.[2] Her thesis focused on the biophysical properties of calcium activated potassium channels in human erythrocyte in Steiner disease.[2]
Career
[edit]In 2002, Scimemi traveled to the United Kingdom to join a lab at University College London.[3] At UCL, Scimemi studied synapses and neurotransmitter spillover and worked with professors Dimitri M. Kullmann, Dmitri A. Rusakov, Matthew C. Walker, and others.[3]
In 2005, Scimemi moved to the United States to join the Synaptic Physiology Unit, with Jeffrey S. Diamond, at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.[1] The goal of her work there was, "to understand the synaptic connections between brain cells and ultimately to get a better idea of how different drugs work".[1] At NIH, she continued to study synapses, looking more specifically at the role of neuronal glutamate transporters in hippocampal synapses.[1][3] She earned an appointment as Research Fellow at NIH in 2010.[4][better source needed]
Scimemi joined the faculty of SUNY Albany in 2013. She became an associate professor at SUNI in 2019.[4]
Research
[edit]Scimemi studies synaptic structure and transmission, astrocytic control, synaptic transmission, and the synaptic basis of neuropsychiatric disorders, using techniques such as electrophysiology, optogenetics, two-photon imaging, and reaction-diffusion computer simulations.[2][5] Scimemi's previous research focused on how the synaptic transmission changes in the hippocampus with the circadian cycles.[2]
Scimemi's software providing biophysical modeling of neurons (allowing distribution of "synaptic inputs onto digitally reconstructed neurons")[6] was described in one of Scientific Reports' 100 most-downloaded research studies in 2023.[7]
Awards, honors, and service
[edit]- In 2023, Scimemi received a $461,104 grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke, for her research on neuronal circuits in spatial map representation, titled "Presynaptic Modulation of Synaptic Inhibition onto Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons".[8]
- At the end of 2022, Scimemi was awarded $1.16 million "to study molecular and cellular processes that contribute to Alzheimer's disease onset".[9]
- In 2020, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a grant of $1.24 million dollars for a project led by Scimemi at the University of Albany.[10][11] In collaboration with the Alzheimer's Association, this project focused on using electrophysiology to understand how hormones affect the storage and formation of memories throughout the day.[10]
- Scimemi serves as president and local Chapter Representative for the Hudson-Berkshire Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN). She also served as a top reviewer for The Journal of Neuroscience Editorial Board Committee of the Society for Neuroscience.[12]
- The board of the Organization for Computational Neuroscience (CNS) appointed her to serve on the CNS Program Committee from 2020 to 2022.[13][14][15]
- In 2013, Scimemi chaired the Nanosymposium on Presynaptic Dynamics of the Society for Neuroscience.[3]
- In 2013, Scimemi received the Grass Imaging Award from The Grass Foundation.[3]
- Scimemi was selected a speaker on synaptic transmission at the Gordon Research Conference in 2012.[3]
- In 2005, Scimemi received the Young Investigator Award of the International League Against Epilepsy.[3]
Selected publications
[edit]- Cobb, Evan A. W.; Petroccione, Maurice A.; Scimemi, Annalisa (2023-01-10). "NRN-EZ: an application to streamline biophysical modeling of synaptic integration using NEURON". Scientific Reports. 13 (1): 464. Bibcode:2023NatSR..13..464C. doi:10.1038/s41598-022-27302-8. ISSN 2045-2322.
[The team]...developed an open-source application called NRN-EZ, which is accessible to users with limited programming background...The NRN-EZ code is freely accessible through our Github repository, it is easy to use and can be modified by users as they see fit.
- Scimemi, Annalisa (2014-06-17). "Structure, function, and plasticity of GABA transporters". Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 8. doi:10.3389/fncel.2014.00161. ISSN 1662-5102.
- Scimemi, Annalisa (2014-05-13). "Plasticity of GABA transporters: an unconventional route to shape inhibitory synaptic transmission". Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 8: 128. doi:10.3389/fncel.2014.00128. ISSN 1662-5102. PMC 4026733. PMID 24860430.
- Scimemi A, Diamond JS (2013). Deriving the time course of glutamate clearance with a deconvolution analysis of astrocytic transporter currents. J Vis Exp. (78), https://doi.org/10.3791%2F50708
- Scimemi, Annalisa; Diamond, Jeffrey S. (2012-12-12). "The Number and Organization of Ca2+ Channels in the Active Zone Shapes Neurotransmitter Release from Schaffer Collateral Synapses". Journal of Neuroscience. 32 (50): 18157–18176. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3827-12.2012. ISSN 0270-6474. PMID 23238730.
- Scimemi, Annalisa; Tian, Hua; Diamond, Jeffrey S. (2009-11-18). "Neuronal Transporters Regulate Glutamate Clearance, NMDA Receptor Activation, and Synaptic Plasticity in the Hippocampus". Journal of Neuroscience. 29 (46): 14581–14595. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4845-09.2009. ISSN 0270-6474. PMID 19923291.
- Scimemi, Annalisa; Beato, Marco (2009-12-01). "Determining the Neurotransmitter Concentration Profile at Active Synapses". Molecular Neurobiology. 40 (3): 289–306. doi:10.1007/s12035-009-8087-7. ISSN 1559-1182. PMC 2777263. PMID 19844813.
- Scimemi, Annalisa (July 2009). "The interrelated lives of NMDA receptors and glycine transporters". The Journal of Physiology. 587 (13): 3061–3062. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.2009.175976. ISSN 0022-3751. PMC 2727010. PMID 19567742.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Rosenwald, Michael S. (September 4, 2006). "Odd Jobs That Keep The Area Humming - The Brain Slicer". The Washington Post. pp. D:1. ProQuest 410064132.
- ^ a b c d e Ribic, Adema. "Episode 22: Annalisa Scimemi, PhD". Conjugate: Illustration and Science Blog. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Loop | Annalisa Scimemi". loop.frontiersin.org. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ a b "Scimemi Lab - About myself". sites.google.com. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
- ^ "Annalisa Scimemi | Inmed". www.inmed.fr. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ Scimemi, Annalisa (2022-10-16), scimemia/NRN-EZ, retrieved 2024-10-06
- ^ "Neuroscience Top 100 of 2023". Nature. 2024-03-06. Retrieved 2024-08-06.
- ^ "Noteworthy: Research grants, awards and publications | University at Albany". www.albany.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-04.
This work seeks to advance understanding of neuronal circuits involved in spatial map representation — how space is represented and interpreted in the brain — and will support future strategies to treat diseases associated with hippocampal neural circuit dysfunction such as epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder.
- ^ "Studying the Biology of Alzheimer's Disease: A Q&A with Annalisa Scimemi | University at Albany". www.albany.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-06.
The project focuses on astrocytes, a type of non-neuronal cell in the brain, and a technique called optogenetics — using light to control brain activity. Scimemi's lab is at the forefront of this technology, which relies on a multidisciplinary blend of electrophysiology, imaging, computational and behavioral approaches.
- ^ a b "Tonko Announces $1.24 Million Federal Science Grant for UAlbany". Congressman Paul Tonko. 2020-07-13. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Biological sciences professor receives $1.24 million to study memory | University at Albany". www.albany.edu. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
- ^ "Member Details". my.sfn.org. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Program Committee 2020". www.cnsorg.org. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Program Committee 2021". www.cnsorg.org. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
- ^ "Program Committee 2022". www.cnsorg.org. Retrieved 2024-04-29.
External links
[edit]- UAlbany Professor Lands NSF Grant To Study How Memories Are Formed (audio, 5:39 minutes)