Anna Dunaevsky, PhD

Anna DunaevskyAnna Dunaevsky, PhD
Developmental Neuroscience Department
Munroe-Meyer Institute
985960 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5960

Phone: (402) 559-1071
E-mail: adunaevsky@unmc.edu

Professional Summary:

Dr. Anna Dunaevsky is an Associate Professor of Developmental Neuroscience at the Munroe Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She received her postdoctoral training studying neuronal development with Drs. Carol Mason and Rafael Yuste at Columbia University. Dr. Dunaevsky was an Assistant Professor at Brown University for eight years and joined UNMC in 2010. The research in her lab focuses on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the formation, maintenance, and modification of synapses in the brain. Central to her work is the use of experimental models for human neurodevelopmental disorders and the study of learning induced changes in synaptic structure and function.

Education:

PhD, Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 1997
MSc, Neurobiology, Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, 1992
BScBiology and Psychology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, 1990

Research Interests and Projects:

  • Synaptic development
  • Experience dependent plasticity
  • Neuron-Glia interaction
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Autism Spectrum disorders
  • Fragile X Syndrome
  • Dynamics of Cerebellar Purkinje Dendrites

Selected Publications: (within the last 5 years)

  • Lippman Bell, J., Lordkipanidze, T., Cobb, N. and Dunaevsky A, Bergmann glia ensehathment of dendritic spines regulates synapse number without affecting spine motility Neuron Glia Biology in review
  • Deng, J and Dunaevsky, A. (2009) Abnormal development of dendritic spines in Fxr2 knockout mouse. The Open Neuroscience Journal, 3: 148-153
  • Lippman, J., Lordkipanidze T., Buell, M., Yoon, S.O. and Dunaevsky, A. (2008) Morphogenesis and regulation of Bergmann glial processes during Purkinje cell dendritic spine ensheathment and synaptogenesis. Glia. 56:1463-1477, PMID: 18615636
  • Harms, K.J., Rioult-Pedotti, M.S., Carter, D.R. and Dunaevsky, A. (2008) Transient spine expansion and learning-induced plasticity in layer 1 of the primary motor cortex. J. Neurosci. 28: 5686-90, PMID: 16600191
  • Rioult-Pedotti, M.S., Donoghue, J.P. and Dunaevsky, A., (2007) Plasticity of the synaptic modification range. J. Neurophys. 98(6) 3688-95, PMID: 17913995
  • Shrestha, B., Vitolo, O.V., Joshi, P., Lordkipanidze, T., Shelanski, M.T. and Dunaevsky, A. (2006) Amyloid -peptide adversely affects spine number and motility in hippocampal neurons. Mol Cell Neurosci. 33:274-282 234, PMID: 16962789
  • Deng, J and Dunaevsky, A. (2005) Dynamics of dendritic spines and their afferent terminals: spines are more motile than presynaptic boutons. Dev. Biol. 277: 366-377, PMID: 15617680
  • Lordkipanidze, T. and Dunaevsky, A. (2005) Purkinje cell dendrites grow in alignment with Bergmann glia. Glia, 51: 229-234, PMID: 15800897

Professional Affiliations:

  • Society for Neuroscience