Neuroscience Graduate Program

Graduate Program Faculty: Profile

William DeBello
Associate Professor
Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior (College of Biological Sciences)
1515 Newton Ct.
Office (530) 754-7165
Lab
wmdebello@ucdavis.edu

Degrees:
1996 - PhD - Duke University - Neurobiology
1990 - BS - Stanford University - Biology

Awards:
Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
Frontiers of Science Symposium, National Academies

Department and Center Affiliations:
Center for Neuroscience
Department of Neurobiology, Phsyiology, and Behavior

Grad Group Affiliations and Specialties:
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Neuroscience

Research Interests:
Structural Remodeling and Neural Gene Expression During Adaptive Plasticity. Experience shapes the functional capacity of the brain to suit the unique needs and environment of the individual. Our laboratory is interested in the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie such adaptive change. To explore these issues we are studying adaptive plasticity in the barn owl sound localization pathway. We have recently shown that plasticity in this system involves topographically directed axonal sprouting and synaptogenesis. This observation has led us to ask: 1) How does the neural microcircuitry re-organize during adaptive plasticity? 2) How does the global pattern of gene expression change during adaptive plasticity? Our integrative approach in addressing these questions combines behavioral training, multielectrode recording, sound and visual stimulus presentation, anatomical tracing, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy and quantitative gene discovery techniques.

Laboratory Personnel:
SOM rm 106/317 - DeBello Lab: Will DeBello, Annie Coleman, Christine Decena, Tom McBride, Grant Nichols, Christina Tan.

Teaching Interests:

Synaptic physiology; plasticity.

Publications:
Rodriguez-Contreras, A., Liu, X.-B., and DeBello, W.M. (2005) Axo-dendritic Contacts onto CaMKII-Expressing Neurons in the Barn Owl Auditory Space Map. J Neuroscience 25(23):5611-5622.

DeBello, W.M. and Knudsen, E.I. (2004) Multiple Sites of Adaptive Plasticity in the Auditory Localization Pathway. J. Neuroscience 24(31):6853-6861.

DeBello, W.M., Feldman, D.E., Knudsen, E.I. (2001) Adaptive Axonal Remodeling in the Midbrain Auditory Space Map. J. Neuroscience. 21(9):3161-3174.

DeBello, W.M. and Knudsen, E.I. (2001) Adaptive Plasticity of the Auditory Space Map. Towards a Theory of Neuroplasticity. 13-30.

Knudsen, E.I., Zheng W., DeBello, W.M. (2000) Traces of Learning in the auditory localization pathway. PNAS 97(22): 11815-20.