Hometown: Kiel, Wisconsin

Alma Mater: University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Biology

Shudderer, a Drosophila model to study lithium-responsive mechanisms in the nervous system

Lithium has been used for more than 50 years as a primary therapy for bipolar affective disorder (BPD) and has proven highly effective for both acute and long-term phases of the disease. Unfortunately, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the mood-stabilizing action of lithium for the treatment of BPD remains largely unknown.
To determine lithium's effect on the nervous system, I am studying a Drosophila mutant called Shudderer (Shu) that exhibits dominant neurological phenotypes including uncoordinated movements and sporadically occurring jerks. The mutant also displays an indented dorsal thorax and down-turned wings, likely caused by an increase in neuronal excitability. Interestingly, many of the behavioral phenotypes of Shu can be significantly improved by lithium with similar internal concentrations used for BPD treatment in humans. The goals of my research project are to 1) identity the gene responsible for the Shu mutation, 2) to further characterize the Shu behavioral phenotypes and 3) Identify genes functionally interacting with the Shu gene.
By accomplishing the three objectives above, it is my hope to provide a greater understanding of the lithium-responsive neurobiological processes at the molecular and cellular levels, which could eventually lead to novel and more effective drugs for the treatment of BPD and other mental diseases.