Amy Lee, Ph.D. 

Biography

Amy Lee received her PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Virginia under the mentorship of Kevin Lynch and went on to postdoctoral work with William Catterall at the University of Washington. She began her independent research career in 2002 as Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Pharmacology at Emory University. In 2009, she moved to the Dept. of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics at the University of Iowa, where she rose through the ranks to full professor in 2015 and also served as Assistant Dean for Research in the Carver College of Medicine from 2014-2019. She is broadly interested in the structure/function relationships of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, and the roles that these channels play in orchestrating the development and mature function of the nervous system.

Research

Structure/function relationships of voltage-gated (Cav) Ca2+ channels: We are studying the molecular determinants and protein interactions that regulate the biophysical properties of Cav channels. Technical approaches include patch-clamp electrophysiology, voltage-clamp fluorometry, FRET, and isothermal titration calorimetry. A major goal of this project is to generate modified Cav channels to study their roles within neuronal cell-types and circuits.

Ca2+ signaling mechanisms controlling axonal regeneration: We are investigating a novel pathway involving Cav channels and calmodulin-like Ca2+ binding proteins (CaBPs) in sensory neurons. We are determining how Cav coupling to CaBPs alters the regenerative growth of axons in vitro, and the recovery of sensory function following nerve injury in vivo. Techniques include live-cell imaging, single-cell RNAseq, and machine-learning approaches for analyzing neuronal morphology. 

Cav and other ion channels and retinal circuit development and function: We are investigating the roles of Cav channel subtypes in regulating photoreceptor synapse assembly, and how dysregulation of these channels lead to aberrant and homeostatic forms of rewiring within retinal circuits. Techniques include multi-photon imaging/electrophysiology in retinal tissue, behavioral analyses of visual function, and imaging (super-resolution and electron microscopy) of protein localization and synaptic structure.

Research Areas

• Neuroscience
• Learning and Memory
• Health Promotion or Disease Prevention

Fields of Interest

• Molecular Biology, Genetics & Genomics
• Electrophys, Optogenetics & Chemogenetics
• Optical Imaging
• Behavior
• Cellular/Molecular/Structure
• Cognition/Sensory Systems
• Learning/Memory/Plasticity
• Neurological Disease/Addiction