Julia Dallman

Assistant Professor

232 Cox Science Center, Dept. of Biology
1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, Fl 33124

(305)284-3954

Education and Professional Experience

1987-1991, BA from the Dept. of Biology, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA
1991-1998, Ph.D. from the Dept of Zoology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA Mentor: Dr. William J Moody
1998-2003, Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept. of Neurobiology, SUNY Stony Brook, NY Mentor: Dr. Gail Mandel
2003-2007, Research Assistant Professor, Dept. of Neurobiology, SUNY Stony Brook, NY Mentor: Dr. Paul Brehm
2005, Co-lecturer Comparative Invertebrate Embryology(Zool. 536) Friday Harbor Laboratories, University of Washington
2007, Assistant Professor, Univeristy of Miami, Department of Biology

Awards

1996, Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology- Best Student Paper Award
1995, Ingrith Dyrup-Olsen Award for Excellence in Teaching

Grants

2004-2008, Principal Investigator NIH K01 Career Development Award Annual direct costs: $108,670
1998-2000, NIH Individual National Research Service Award
1995-1997, NSF Mathematical Biology Training Grant
1991-1994, NIH Molecular and Cellular Biology Training Grant

Areas of Focus

Development and Neuroscience

Research Interests

My research focuses on understanding the genetic basis of swimming by studying a set of zebrafish mutants recently isolated in the lab. Zebrafish exhibit many similarities to humans in the genes and circuits that underlie movement. Therefore, zebrafish motility mutants provide useful models for human genetic disaeses that impact nerve and muscle function.The lab also studies mutants for which the culprit gene has been identified, to better understand homeostatic mechanisms triggered in response to mutation. The zebrafish motility mutant shocked has a point mutation in the glial glycine transporter (GlyT1). Consequently, the inhibitory neurotransmitter glycine builds up in the nervous system and the mutant larvae fail to escape when touched. However,as the larvae mature, they naturally recover the ability to mount a normal escape response. We have found that mutant recovery is associated with a dramatic decrease in the post-synaptic glycine receptors. We hope to further study this mutant with the aim of understanding the mechanisms causal to glycine receptor down-regulation. This study is medically relevant because glycine transporter antagonists are currently being tested as atypical anti-psychotics and similar forms of homeostasis are likely to occur in humans with chronic use of GlyT1 inhibitors.

Teaching Interests

My goals in the classroom are not only to pass on information but also to convey my own excitement about the material as a means of encouraging students to think critically about the topics we cover. My aim is to make the students active participants in their learning. I also expose students to the primary literature and discuss the methods employed by the researchers so that the process by which we understand biological systems becomes apparent.

Selected Publications

Stephan Züchner1,2, Julia Dallman5, Rong Wen3, Gary Beecham1,2, Adam Naj1,2, Amjad Farooq4, Martin Kohli1,2, Patrice L. Whitehead1,2, William Hulme1,2, Ioanna Konidari1,2, Joseph Buxbaum6, David Seo1,2, Jonathan L. Haines7, Susan Blanton1,2, Juan Young1,2, Eduardo Alfonso3, Jeffery M. Vance1,2, Byron Lam3 and Margaret A Pericak-Vance1,2 (2010) Whole-exome sequencing identifies a mutation in DHDDS as the cause of recessive retinitis pigmentosa resulting from defective glycosylation. Under revision at The American Journal of Human Genetics.
Ganser, LR, Dallman JE. (2009) Glycinergic synapse development, plasticity, and homeostasis in zebrafish. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience 2:30. Solicited Review.
Mongeon, R, Gleason, M, Masino, M, Fetcho, J, Mandel, G., and Brehm, P, Dallman JE (2008). Synaptic homeostasis in a zebrafish glial glycine transporter mutant. J. Neurophysiology 100(4):1716-23..
Dallman, JE, Walogorsky, MD, Brehm, P. Using high-speed camera and motion software to screen for zebrafish motility mutants. Manuscript in preparation.
Mongeon, R, Gleason, MR, Masino, MA, Fetcho, JR, Mandel, G, Brehm, P, Dallman, JE. Synaptic homeostais in a zebrafish glial glycine transporter mutant. Manuscript submitted to Neuron.
Dallman, JE, Gleason, M, Mongeon, R, Masino, M, Fetcho, J, and Brehm, p. The glycine transporter 1 is the gene mutated in the zebrafish motility mutant shocked. Program No. 749.11. 2005 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience 2005.
Dallman, JE, Allopenna, J, Bassett, A, Travers, A, Mandel, G. 2004. A conserved role but different partners for the transcriptional corepressor CoREST in fly and mammalian nervous system formation. J. Neurosci. 24(32):7186-93.
Luna, VM, Wang, M, Ono, F, Gleason, MR, Dallman, JE, Mangel, G, Brehm, P. 2004. Persistent electrical coupling and locomotory dysfuntion in zebrafish mutant shocked. J. Neurophysiology. 92(4): 2003-9.
Gleason, MR, Higashijima, S, Dallman, JE, Liu, K, Mandel, G, Getchi, JR. 2003. Translocation of CaM kinase II to synaptic sites in vivo. Nat. Neuroscience 6(3)217-8.
Dallman, JE, Dorman, JB, Moody, WJ. 2000. Action potential waveform voltage clamp shows significance of different Ca2+ channel types in developing ascidian muscle. J. Physiology. 524 Pt. 2:375-86.
Andres, ME, Burger, C, Peral-Rubio, MJ, Battaglioli, E, Anderson, ME, Grimes, J, Dallman, J, Ballas, N, Mandel, G. 1999. CoREST: a functional corepressor required for regulation of neural-specific gene expression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A. 96(17):987-8.
Dallman, JE, Davis, AK, Moody, WJ. 1998. Spontaneous activity regulates calcium-dependent K+ current expression in developing ascidian muscle. J. Physiology 511(3): 683-98.
Greaves, AA, Davis, AK, Dallman, JE, Moody, WJ. 1996. Co-ordinated modulation of Ca2+ and K+ currents during ascidian muscle development. J. Physiology. 497(1):39-52.
Davis, AK, Greaves, AA, Dallman, JE, Moody WJ. 1995. Comparison of ionic currents expressed in immature and mature muscle cells of an ascidian larva. J. Neuroscience. 15(1)4875-84.

Dept. of Biology, Cox Science Ctr.
1301 Memorial Dr., University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida 33124-0421

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