Elizabeth Debski

Research Interests:
Physiology
Neuroscience
Genetics
Genomics
Neurobiology
Education

Ph.D. Univ. of Virginia, 1985

Research

Developmental Neurobiology

My laboratory investigates the mechanisms underlying activity-dependent organization of the visual system.  Much of our work concerns understanding how activity influences the choice of postsynaptic targets by presynaptic neurons.  In the leopard frogs in which we work, retinal ganglion cell terminals map topographically onto the surface of their target, the optic tectum.  The precision present in this map is derived from strengthening synapses that effectively depolarize tectal cells and eliminating synapses that do not.  Using electrophysiological, immunocytochemical, anatomical and autoradiographic techniques, we investigate the mechanisms mediating and modulating synapse stabilization and elimination.

PubMed Publications*: 
  • EA Debski"Smoking, nicotine and visual plasticity: does what you know, tell you what you can see?"Brain research bulletin77.5(2008):221-6.Details. Full text
  • X Yan; B Zhao; CM Butt; EA Debski"Nicotine exposure refines visual map topography through an NMDA receptor-mediated pathway."The European journal of neuroscience24.11(2006):3026-42.Details. Full text
  • B Zhao; EA Debski"Serotonergic reticular formation cells in Rana pipiens: categorization, development, and tectal projections."The Journal of comparative neurology487.4(2005):441-56.Details. Full text
  • CJ Yu; CM Butt; EA Debski"Bidirectional modulation of visual plasticity by cholinergic receptor subtypes in the frog optic tectum."The European journal of neuroscience17.6(2003):1253-65.Details. Full text
  • CM Butt; B Zhao; MJ Duncan; EA Debski"Sculpting the visual map: the distribution and function of serotonin-1A and serotonin-1B receptors in the optic tectum of the frog."Brain research931.1(2002):21-31.Details. Full text
  • EA Debski; HT Cline"Activity-dependent mapping in the retinotectal projection."Current opinion in neurobiology12.1(2002):93-9.Details. Full text
  • EA Debski"Distribution and regulation of substance P-related peptide in the frog visual system."Microscopy research and technique54.4(2001):220-8.Details. Full text
  • S Tu; EA Debski"Neurotrophins, but not depolarization, regulate substance P expression in the developing optic tectum."Journal of neurobiology48.2(2001):131-49.Details.
  • S Tu; CM Butt; Pauly JR; EA Debski"Activity-dependent regulation of substance P expression and topographic map maintenance by a cholinergic pathway."The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience20.14(2000):5346-57.Details. Full text
  • CM Butt; Pauly JR; EA Debski"Distribution and development of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in the optic tectum of Rana pipiens."The Journal of comparative neurology423.4(2000):603-18.Details. Full text
  • AA Malayev; EA Debski"Serotonin modulates induced synaptic activity in the optic tectum of the frog."Brain research781.1-2(1998):167-81.Details. Full text
  • Q Liu; EA Debski"Optic nerve-dependent changes in adult frog tectal cell phenotypes."Journal of neurobiology29.4(1996):517-34.Details.
  • EA Debski; Q Liu; AM Chapman"Non-uniform distribution of cellular phenotypes in the optic tectum of the leopard frog."The Journal of comparative neurology360.4(1995):671-84.Details. Full text
  • Q Liu; EA Debski"Origins of serotonin-like immunoreactivity in the optic tectum of Rana pipiens."The Journal of comparative neurology352.2(1995):280-96.Details. Full text
  • PD Brodfuehrer; EA Debski; BA O'Gara; WO Friesen"Neuronal control of leech swimming."Journal of neurobiology27.3(1995):403-18.Details.
  • Q Liu; EA Debski"Serotonin-like immunoreactivity in the adult and developing retina of the leopard frog Rana pipiens."The Journal of comparative neurology338.3(1993):391-404.Details. Full text
  • EA Debski; M Constantine-Paton"The development of non-retinal afferent projections to the frog optic tectum and the substance P immunoreactivity of tectal connections."Brain research. Developmental brain research72.1(1993):21-39.Details. Full text
  • EA Debski; HT Cline; JW McDonald; M Constantine-Paton"Chronic application of NMDA decreases the NMDA sensitivity of the evoked tectal potential in the frog."The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience11.9(1991):2947-57.Details. Full text
  • EA Debski; M Constantine-Paton"Evoked pre- and post-synaptic activity in the optic tectum of the cannulated tadpole."Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology167.3(1990):377-90.Details.
  • EA Debski; HT Cline; M Constantine-Paton"Activity-dependent tuning and the NMDA receptor."Journal of neurobiology21.1(1990):18-32.Details.
  • HT Cline; EA Debski; M Constantine-Paton"N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist desegregates eye-specific stripes."Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America84.12(1987):4342-5.Details. Full text
  • EA Debski; WO Friesen"Intracellular stimulation of sensory cells elicits swimming activity in the medicinal leech."Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology160.4(1987):447-57.Details.
  • EA Debski; WO Friesen"Role of central interneurons in habituation of swimming activity in the medicinal leech."Journal of neurophysiology55.5(1986):977-94.Details. Full text
  • EA Debski; WO Friesen"Habituation of swimming activity in the medicinal leech."The Journal of experimental biology116.(1985):169-88.Details. Full text
  • N Kaneko; EA Debski; MC Wilson; WK Whitten"Puberty acceleration in mice. II. Evidence that the vomeronasal organ isa receptor for the primer pheromone in male mouse urine."Biology of reproduction22.4(1980):873-8.Details. Full text
  • S Tu; EA Debski"Development and regulation of substance P expression in neurons of the tadpole optic tectum."Visual neuroscience16.4(1969):695-705.Details. Full text
  • AM Chapman; EA Debski"Neuropeptide Y immunoreactivity of a projection from the lateral thalamic nucleus to the optic tectum of the leopard frog."Visual neuroscience12.1(1969):1-9.Details.
  • CM Butt; Pauly JR; LH Wilkins; LP Dwoskin; EA Debski"Pharmacology, distribution and development of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes in the optic tectum of Rana pipiens."Neuroscience104.1(0):161-79.Details. Full text
  • CJ Yu; EA Debski"The effects of nicotinic and muscarinic receptor activation on patch-clamped cells in the optic tectum of Rana pipiens."Neuroscience118.1(0):135-44.Details. Full text
  • HT Cline; EA Debski; M Constantine-Paton"The role of the NMDA receptor in the development of the frog visual system."Advances in experimental medicine and biology268.(0):197-203.Details.
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