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Faculty Detail    
Name LYNN DOBRUNZ
  
Campus Address SHEL 907 Zip 2182
Phone  (205) 934-0739
E-mail  dobrunz@uab.edu
Other websites Department Site
     

Education
Undergraduate  Harvard University    1988  Bachelor of Science 
Graduate  Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine    1994  PhD 


Faculty Appointment(s)
Appointment Type Department Division Rank
Primary  Neurobiology  Neurobiology Professor Emeritus

Graduate Biomedical Sciences Affiliations
Cell, Molecular, & Developmental Biology 
Integrative Biomedical Sciences 
Medical Scientist Training Program 
Neuroscience Graduate Program 
Pathobiology and Molecular Medicine 

Biographical Sketch 
Lynn E. Dobrunz received her S.B. in Engineering and Applied Sciences from Harvard University in 1988. She was awarded a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1994. She did postdoctoral work with Charles F. Stevens in the Department of Molecular Neurobiology at The Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA, and joined the faculty of UAB in 1999. She is currently a Professor in the Department of Neurobiology, Director of the UAB Neuroengineering and Brain Computer Interface Initiative, and Co-Director of the UAB Neuroengineering PhD Program.

Society Memberships
Organization Name Position Held Org Link
Society for Neuroscience     
 



Research/Clinical Interest
Title
Hippocampal Synaptic Transmission and Plasticity, Circuits that Regulate Anxiety, Noninvasive Neuromodulation
Description
My lab studies synaptic transmission, plasticity and circuit function in hippocampus, with a focus on the role of inhibitory interneurons, both in normal brain and in rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders. We are currently investigating the effects of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) on hippocampal circuit function and behavior. NPY is an endogenous neuropeptide with robust anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties that has been implicated in a wide variety of anxiety disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is released by a subset of inhibitory interneurons that also release GABA. We are studying the mechanisms that regulate the firing of NPY interneurons in hippocampus, the release of NPY, and the effects of NPY on synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity, hippocampal circuit function, and behavior. We are also investigating the role of alterations in NPY release in a rodent model of stress-induced anxiety/PTSD, and testing the effects of manipulating NPY levels on anxiety and the susceptibility to PTSD-like symptoms. We are also interested in development of new methods for noninvasive neuromodulation, included x-ray mediated optogenetics and focused ultrasound mediated blood brain barrier opening for targeted drug delivery.

Selected Publications 
Publication PUBMEDID
Cortes MA, Corder KM, Dobrunz LE. 2021. Differences between adult and adolescent male mice in approach/avoidance and expression of hippocampal NPY in response to acute footshock. Stress. 2021 Sep 21:1-13. doi: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1976139.  34546150 
Anderson ZT, Mehl J, Corder KM, Dobrunz LE, Harris ML. 2021. A novel mouse model to evaluate neuropeptide Y-mediated melanocyte pathology. Exp Dermatol. 2021 Jun 11. doi: 10.1111/exd.14406.   34114698 
Bartley AF, Fischer M, Bagley ME, Barnes JA, Burdette MK, Cannon KE, Bolding MS, Foulger SH, McMahon LL, Weick JP, Dobrunz LE. 2021. Feasibility of cerium-doped LSO particles as a scintillator for x-ray induced optogenetics. J Neural Eng 18(4). doi: 10.1088/1741-2552/abef89.  33730704 
Rich MC, Sherwood S, Bartley AF, Willoughby WR, Dobrunz LE, Lubin FD, Bao Y, Bolding M. 2020. Focused ultrasound blood brain barrier opening mediated delivery of MRI-visible albumin nanoclusters to the rat brain for localized drug delivery with temporal control. Journal of Controlled Release, 324:172-180. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.04.054.   32376461 
McMeekin LJ, Bartley AF, Bohannon AS, Adlaf EW, van Groen T, Fox SN, Detloff PJ, Crossman DK, Overstreet-Wadiche LS, Hablitz JJ, Dobrunz LE, Cowell RM. A role for PGC-1a in transcription and excitability of cortical and hippocampal excitatory neurons, Neuroscience. 435:73-94. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.03.036.   32222555 
Corder KM, Li Q, Cortes MA, Bartley AF, Davis TR, Dobrunz LE. Overexpression of neuropeptide Y decreases responsiveness to neuropeptide Y. 2020 Neuropeptides. Feb 2020 Vol 7:101979. doi: 10.1016/j.npep.2019.101979. PMCID: PMC6960342.  31708112 
Bartley AF, Abiraman K, Stewart LT, Hossain MI, *Gahan MI, *Kamath AV, Burdette MK, Andrabe S, Foulger SH, McMahon LL, and #Dobrunz LE. LSO:Ce Inorganic Scintillators are Biocompatible with Neuronal and Circuit Function. 2019. Front. Synaptic Neurosci. 11:24.   31551750 
Burdette, M. K., Bandera, Y. P., Zhang, E., Trofimov, A., Dickey, A., Foulger, I., Kolis, J. W., Cannon, K. E., Bartley, A. F., Dobrunz, L. E., Bolding, M. S., McMahon, L. & Foulger, S. H. 2019. Organic Fluorophore Coated Polycrystalline Ceramic LSO:Ce Scintillators for X-ray Bioimaging. Langmuir 35: 171-182.   30518207 
Sun HY, Bartley AF, Dobrunz LE. 2018. Target-cell-specific Short-term Plasticity Reduces the Excitatory Drive onto CA1 Interneurons Relative to Pyramidal Cells During Physiologically-derived Spike Trains. Neuroscience 388:430-447.   30099117  
Corder KM, Cortes MA, Bartley AF, Lear SA, Lubin FD, Dobrunz LE. Prefrontal cortex-dependent innate behaviors are altered by selective knockdown of Gad1 in neuropeptide Y interneurons. PLoS One. 2018 Jul 19;13(7):e0200809. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0200809.   30024942 
Kolata SM, Nakao K, Jeevakumar V; Farmer-Alroth EL; Fujita Y, Bartley AF, Jiang SZ, Rompala GR, Sorge RE, Jimenez DV, Martinowich K, Mateo Y, Hashimoto K, Dobrunz LE, and Nakazawa K. 2018. Neuropsychiatric Pheynotypes Produced by GABA Reduction in Mouse Cortex and Hippocampus, Neuropsychopharmacology, 43(6):1445-1456.   29362511  
Li Q, Bartley AF, and Dobrunz LE. 2017. Endogenously released Neuropeptide Y suppresses hippocampal synaptic short-term facilitation and is impaired by stress-induced anxiety. J Neuroscience 37:23-37.   28053027  
Li Q, Vo HT, Wang J, Fox-Quick S, Dobrunz LE, King GD. 2017. Klotho regulates CA1 hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Neuroscience 347:123-133.   28215989 
Brady LJ, Bartley AF, Li Q, McMeekin LJ, Hablitz JJ, Cowell RM, and Dobrunz LE. 2016. Transcriptional dysregulation causes altered modulation of inhibition by haloperidol, Neuropharmacology 111:304-313.  27480797 
Bartley AF, Lucas EK, Brady LJ, Li Q, Hablitz JJ, Cowell RM, Dobrunz LE. 2015. Interneuron Transcriptional Dysregulation Causes Frequency-Dependent Alterations in the Balance of Inhibition and Excitation in Hippocampus, J Neurosci 35: 15276-15290.  26586816 
Bartley AF, Dobrunz LE. 2015. Short-term plasticity regulates the excitation/inhibition ratio and the temporal window for spike integration in CA1 pyramidal cells. Eur J Neurosci 41:1402-1415.  25903384 
Lucas, E.K, Dougherty, S.E., McMeekin, L.J., Reid, C.S., Dobrunz, L.E., West, A.B., Hablitz, J.J., Cowell, R.M. 2014. PGC-1α provides a transcriptional framework for synchronous neurotransmitter release from parvalbumin-positive interneurons. J Neurosci, 34(43): 14375-87.  24769433 
Walters, B. J., J. J. Hallengren, C. S. Theile, H. L. Ploegh, S. M. Wilson and L. E. Dobrunz (2014). "A catalytic independent function of the deubiquitinating enzyme USP14 regulates hippocampal synaptic short-term plasticity and vesicle number." J Physiol 592(Pt 4): 571-86.
 		 24218545 
Dougherty, S. E., A. F. Bartley, E. K. Lucas, J. J. Hablitz, L. E. Dobrunz and R. M. Cowell (2014). "Mice lacking the transcriptional coactivator PGC-1alpha exhibit alterations in inhibitory synaptic transmission in the motor cortex." Neuroscience 271: 137-48.
 		 24769433 
Marshall, A. G., J. A. Watson, J. J. Hallengren, B. J. Walters, L. E. Dobrunz, L. Francillon, J. A. Wilson, S. E. Phillips and S. M. Wilson (2013). "Genetic background alters the severity and onset of neuromuscular disease caused by the loss of ubiquitin-specific protease 14 (usp14)." PLoS One 8(12): e84042.
 		 24358326 
Jin, Y. N., P. C. Chen, J. A. Watson, B. J. Walters, S. E. Phillips, K. Green, R. Schmidt, J. A. Wilson, G. V. Johnson, E. D. Roberson, L. E. Dobrunz and S. M. Wilson (2012). "Usp14 deficiency increases tau phosphorylation without altering tau degradation or causing tau-dependent deficits." PLoS One 7(10): e47884.
 		 23144711 
Sun, H.Y., A.F. Bartley, and L.E. Dobrunz. (2009). Calcium-permeable presynaptic kainate receptors involved in excitatory short-term facilitation onto somatostatin interneurons during natural stimulus patterns. J Neurophysiol 101(2):1043-1055.  19073817 
Speed, H.E. & L.E. Dobrunz (2009). Developmental changes in short-term facilitation are opposite at temporoammonic synapses compared to Schaffer collateral synapses onto CA1 pyramidal cells. Hippocampus 19(2): 184-204.   18777561 
Walters, B.J. , Campbell, S.L., P.C. Chen, L.E. Dobrunz, J.A. Wilson, K. Artavanis-Tsakonas, H.L. Ploegh, A.P. Taylor, D.G. Schroeder, G.A. Cox, & S.M. Wilson (2008). "Differential effects of Usp14 and Uch-L1 on the ubiquitin-proteasome system and synaptic activity." Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience 39(4):539-548.   18771733 
Scheiderer, C.L., M.E. McCutcheon, L.E. Dobrunz, & L.L. McMahon (2008). "Coactivation of M1 muscarinic and alpha1 adrenergic receptors stimulates ERK and induces long-term depression at CA3-CA1 synapses in rat hippocampus." J. Neurosci 28:5350-5358.   18480291 
Speed, H.E. & L.E. Dobrunz (2008). "Developmental decrease in short-term facilitation at Schaffer collateral synapses in hippocampus is mGluR1 sensitive." J. Neurophysiol 99:799-813.   18032567 
Crimmins, S., Y. Jin, C. Wheeler, A. K. Huffman, C. Chapman, L. E. Dobrunz, A. Levey, K. A. Roth, J. A. Wilson & S. M. Wilson (2006). "Transgenic rescue of ataxia mice with neuronal-specific expression of ubiquitin-specific protease 14." J Neurosci 26(44): 11423-31.   17079671 
Sun, H. Y. & L. E. Dobrunz (2006). "Presynaptic kainate receptor activation is a novel mechanism for target cell-specific short-term facilitation at Schaffer collateral synapses." J Neurosci 26(42): 10796-807.  17050718 
McCutchen, E., C. L. Scheiderer, L. E. Dobrunz & L. L. McMahon (2006). "Coexistence of muscarinic long-term depression with electrically induced long-term potentiation and depression at CA3-CA1 synapses." J Neurophysiol 96(6): 3114-21.   17005622 
Scheiderer, C. L., E. McCutchen, E. E. Thacker, K. Kolasa, M. K. Ward, D. Parsons, L. E. Harrell, L. E. Dobrunz & L. L. McMahon (2006). "Sympathetic sprouting drives hippocampal cholinergic reinnervation that prevents loss of a muscarinic receptor-dependent long-term depression at CA3-CA1 synapses." J Neurosci 26(14): 3745-56.  16597728 
Dekay, J. G., T. C. Chang, N. Mills, H. E. Speed & L. E. Dobrunz (2006). "Responses of excitatory hippocampal synapses to natural stimulus patterns reveal a decrease in short-term facilitation and increase in short-term depression during postnatal development." Hippocampus 16(1): 66-79.   16261553 
Sun, H. Y., S. A. Lyons & L. E. Dobrunz (2005). "Mechanisms of target-cell specific short-term plasticity at Schaffer collateral synapses onto interneurones versus pyramidal cells in juvenile rats." J Physiol 568(Pt 3): 815-40.   16109728 
Scheiderer, C. L., L. E. Dobrunz & L. L. McMahon (2004). "Novel form of long-term synaptic depression in rat hippocampus induced by activation of alpha 1 adrenergic receptors." J Neurophysiol 91(2): 1071-7.   14573563 
Dobrunz, L. E. and C. C. Garner (2002). "Priming plasticity." Nature 415(6869): 277-8.  11796993 
Dobrunz, L. E. (2002). "Release probability is regulated by the size of the readily releasable vesicle pool at excitatory synapses in hippocampus." Int J Dev Neurosci 20(3-5): 225-36.   12175858 
Dobrunz, L. E. and C. F. Stevens (1999). "Response of hippocampal synapses to natural stimulation patterns." Neuron 22(1): 157-66.   10027298 
Dobrunz, L. E. (1998). "Long-term potentiation and the computational synapse." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 95(8): 4086-8.   9539692 
Dobrunz, L. E., E. P. Huang and C.F. Stevens. (1997). "Very short-term plasticity in hippocampal synapses." Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 94(26): 14843-7.  9405701 
Zador, A. M. and L. E. Dobrunz (1997). "Dynamic synapses in the cortex." Neuron 19(1): 1-4.   9247258 
Dobrunz, L. E. and C. F. Stevens (1997). "Heterogeneity of release probability, facilitation, and depletion at central synapses." Neuron 18(6): 995-1008.  9208866 
Dobrunz, L. E., P. H. Backx, et al. (1995). "Steady-state [Ca2+]i-force relationship in intact twitching cardiac muscle: direct evidence for modulation by isoproterenol and EMD 53998." Biophys J 69(1): 189-201.   7669896 
Dobrunz, L. E. and M. R. Berman (1994). "Effect of temperature on Ca(2+)-dependent and mechanical modulators of relaxation in mammalian myocardium." J Mol Cell Cardiol 26(2): 243-50.   8006985 
Dobrunz, L. E., D. G. Pelletier, et al. (1990). "Muscle stiffness measured under conditions simulating natural sound production." Biophys J 58(2): 557-65.   2207252 
Frangioni, J.V., T.S. Kwan-Gett, L.E. Dobrunz, T.A. McMahon. 1987. The mechanism of low frequency sound production in muscle. Biophys. J. 51:775-783.  3496125 
 

Keywords
anxiety, Neuropeptide Y, hippocampus