Research Summary
Our understanding of how neurons convert electrical signals into specific biochemical responses remains limited, particularly in the cell body where gene expression and ion channel function dictate neuronal activity. Work in the lab is aimed at generating the knowledge and tools needed for understanding the molecular mechanisms that couple electrical signals to fundamental neuronal processes including gene expression, metabolic regulation, and ion channel function.
Education
- BS, Microbiology, California State University, Chico
- PhD, Molecular Physiology & Biophysics , Vanderbilt University
Biography
Dr. Vierra received his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from California State University, Chico in 2012. He performed his graduate work in Dr. David Jacobson's laboratory at Vanderbilt University, where he studied the function of two-pore domain potassium (K2P) channels in pancreatic islets, receiving his PhD from the Department of Molecular Physiology & Biophysics in 2017. From 2017 - 2023, Dr. Vierra conducted postdoctoral work in Dr. Jim Trimmer's lab at UC Davis investigating ion channel signaling complexes in brain neurons. Dr. Vierra established his lab in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah in 2024.