Ulrike A. Heberlein
Professor
Email: ulrike.heberlein@ucsf.edu
BS - Universidad de Concepcion, Chile
PhD in Biochemistry - Univ. of California, Berkeley

Awards and other professional activities:

2004 Soloway Lecture Award in the Neurosciences

1999 McKnight Investigator Award

1999 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECA)

1991-1992 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship

1988-1991 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Jane Coffin Child Memorial Fund for Medical Research

Anita Devineni
Graduate student- Neuroscience program
E-mail: anita.devineni@ucsf.edu
BS - Stanford University
Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Mark Eddison
Post-doctoral Researcher
Email: mark.eddison@ucsf.edu
PhD - Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Hometown: Old Blighty

A reduced sensitivity to the sedating effects of alcohol is a characteristic associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Therefore, genes that function to reduce sensitivity to the effects of alcohol are likely to contribute to the risk of developing AUDs. For the last few years I’ve been studying the arouser gene which functions in neurons to reduce ethanol sensitivity. I’ve discovered that arouser regulates ethanol sensitivity through its activation by Egfr/Erk signaling and its inhibition by PI3K/Akt signaling. Of particular interest, the arouser mutant also has an increased number of synaptic terminals in the larva and adult fly. Remarkably, both the increased ethanol sensitivity and synapse number of the arouser mutant are restored upon adult social isolation, suggesting that the social environment can affect a genetic predisposition to ethanol sensitivity and that regulation of synapse number, by genetic or environmental factors, is key in regulating acute ethanol sensitivity and perhaps predispositions to AUDs. My work has now turned to the role of arouser in glia, in which arouser also functions to regulate ethanol sensitivity.

Rolando Mancilla
Laboratory Assistant
Hometown: Manila, Phillipines

I maintain the lab stock collection, prepare fly food and help with equipment maintanance in the lab.

Kimberly McClure
Post-doctoral Researcher
E-mail: kimberly.mcclure@ucsf.edu
PhD - University of Wahington
Hometown: Evergreen, Colorado

Norma Velazquez Ulloa
Post-doctoral Researcher
E-mail: Norma.VelazquezUlloa@ucsf.edu
PhD - University of California, San Diago
Hometown: Mexico City

Jeanette Wong
Assistant Administrative Analyst
Email: jeanette.wong@ucsf.edu
Hometown: San Francisco, California