معرفی
Anita Disney is an Assistant Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University and a Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. Her research investigates neuromodulatory mechanisms in brain circuitry and pre-clinical Alzheimer's Disease neurochemistry using non-human primate models.
Her educational background includes:
- Ph.D. from New York University (2005)
Dr. Disney's research spans two integrated domains:
- Basic Research: Examining how acetylcholine, noradrenaline, serotonin, and oxytocin dynamically specify functional connectivity to enable flexible behavior
- Disease-Focused Research: Characterizing neurochemical alterations in the 20-30 year pre-symptomatic phase of late-onset Alzheimer's Disease (accounting for >95% of cases)
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals persistent focus on cholinergic modulation in visual processing (60% of works), with increasing translational emphasis on Alzheimer's mechanisms since 2018. Her work consistently employs cross-species comparisons (macaque, marmoset, rodent) and integrates molecular, cellular, and systems-level approaches.
No scientific prizes, fellowships, or medals were documented in the source material. However, her research program recently secured substantial funding through Duke's Research & Innovation Seed Grant program (December 2024; $2 million total).
Dr. Disney leads an active research laboratory developing next-generation neurochemical monitoring tools. While specific advisees aren't listed, her lab trains researchers in electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, and proteomic techniques. Current funding supports her investigation of pre-clinical Alzheimer's biomarkers and neuromodulatory circuit dynamics.
The Disney lab operates within Duke's neuroscience ecosystem as a core component of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, specializing in in vivo neurochemical-electrophysiological integration and comparative cortical architecture studies.
