Lenora Volk, Ph.D. Associate Professor School Medical School Department Neuroscience | Psychiatry Graduate Programs Neuroscience Biography Dr. Lenora Volk received her B.S. in Biochemistry from Oklahoma State University where she studied the role of the chaperone protein HSP90 in regulating kinase folding and signal transduction under the mentorship of Dr. Steven Harston and Dr. Robert Matts. She obtained her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UT Southwestern Medical Center under the guidance of Dr. Kimberly Huber, where she studied the signaling mechanisms underlying synaptic plasticity mediated by Gq-coupled glutamate (mGluR) and acetylcholine (mAChR) receptors, and identified a novel aberration in mAChR-LTD in the mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institute in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Huganir, Dr. Volk used ex vivo electrophysiology, animal behavior, and biochemistry to study the synaptic mechanisms of learning and memory, with a particular focus on the regulation of AMPA receptor trafficking. Dr. Volk joined the faculty in the Department of Neuroscience in 2015. Research Interest Developmental Maturation of Synaptic Plasticity and Cognition Electrophysiology Molecular, Synaptic, and Local Circuit Mechanisms of Learning and Memory Persistence Neurodevelopmental Disorders Role of Sleep in Cognition and Memory Consolidation Synaptic Plasticity Publications Featured Publications Glutamate Synapses in Human Cognitive Disorders. Volk L, Chiu SL, Sharma K, Huganir RL Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 2015 Apr PKM-? is not required for hippocampal synaptic plasticity, learning and memory. Volk LJ, Bachman JL, Johnson R, Yu Y, Huganir RL Nature 2013 Jan 493 7432 420-3 Regulation of AMPA receptor function by the human memory-associated gene KIBRA. Makuch L, Volk L, Anggono V, Johnson RC, Yu Y, Duning K, Kremerskothen J, Xia J, Takamiya K, Huganir RL Neuron 2011 Sep 71 6 1022-9 Developmental regulation of protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1) function in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and learning. Volk L, Kim CH, Takamiya K, Yu Y, Huganir RL Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2010 Dec 107 50 21784-9 Arc/Arg3.1 regulates an endosomal pathway essential for activity-dependent ?-amyloid generation. Wu J, Petralia RS, Kurushima H, Patel H, Jung MY, Volk L, Chowdhury S, Shepherd JD, Dehoff M, Li Y, Kuhl D, Huganir RL, Price DL, Scannevin R, Troncoso JC, Wong PC, Worley PF Cell 2011 Oct 147 3 615-28 A mouse model of the human Fragile X syndrome I304N mutation. Zang JB, Nosyreva ED, Spencer CM, Volk LJ, Musunuru K, Zhong R, Stone EF, Yuva-Paylor LA, Huber KM, Paylor R, Darnell JC, Darnell RB PLoS Genet. 2009 Dec 5 12 e1000758 Multiple Gq-coupled receptors converge on a common protein synthesis-dependent long-term depression that is affected in fragile X syndrome mental retardation. Volk LJ, Pfeiffer BE, Gibson JR, Huber KM J. Neurosci. 2007 Oct 27 43 11624-34 Differential roles for group 1 mGluR subtypes in induction and expression of chemically induced hippocampal long-term depression. Volk LJ, Daly CA, Huber KM J. Neurophysiol. 2006 Apr 95 4 2427-38 The molecular chaperone Hsp90 is required for signal transduction by wild-type Hck and maintenance of its constitutively active counterpart. Scholz GM, Hartson SD, Cartledge K, Volk L, Matts RL, Dunn AR Cell Growth Differ. 2001 Aug 12 8 409-17 p50(cdc37) is a nonexclusive Hsp90 cohort which participates intimately in Hsp90-mediated folding of immature kinase molecules. Hartson SD, Irwin AD, Shao J, Scroggins BT, Volk L, Huang W, Matts RL Biochemistry 2000 Jun 39 25 7631-44 Results 1-10 of 10 1 Honors & Awards National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (2003-2006)
