Anita L Zimmerman

Anita L. Zimmerman is a tenured Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School. Since 1987 she has progressed from Assistant to Associate to full Professor, served as Director of the MD/PhD Program (2005–2007), Vice Chair of the Department (2008–2021), and currently directs the Graduate Program in Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology. She also holds the position of Director of Student Welfare in the Therapeutic Sciences Graduate Program.

Education

• PhD, Physiology & Biophysics, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1982
• AB, Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, 1978

Research Interests

Dr. Zimmerman’s scientific career has centered on the molecular and cellular neurobiology of ion channels. Using patch-clamp electrophysiology, molecular biology, and heterologous expression systems, she has elucidated the mechanisms of cyclic-nucleotide-gated (CNG) channels, TRP channels, and their roles in visual phototransduction, UV-light signaling in melanocytes, and synaptic transmission. Her work has clarified how retinoids modulate CNG channel activity and how mutations in these channels lead to retinal disease.

Although she no longer maintains an active wet-lab, she continues to provide critical consultation to ongoing projects at Brown and remains a key mentor in NIH-funded training programs.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award (multiple years)
• Graduate School Faculty Award for Advising and Mentoring (2011)
• Brown Advance Scientific Leadership Award (2009)
• Salomon Faculty Research Award (1998)
• Rhode Island Foundation Research Grant (1998)
• Editorial Board Member, Journal of General Physiology (2006–2017)
• Council Member, Biophysical Society & Society of General Physiologists

Training Grants & Mentorship

Dr. Zimmerman co-directs the NIH T32 training grant “Interdisciplinary Training in Pharmacological Sciences” (GM139793, 2021-2026) and previously co-directed its predecessor T32 GM077995. She has mentored numerous MD/PhD and PhD students through the MPP Graduate Program and served as Associate Director and Director of the Brown MD/PhD Program (2000–2007).

Laboratory & Team

While her independent laboratory is now closed, she collaborates closely with colleagues such as Professor Elena Oancea on NIH-funded projects involving UV phototransduction and ion-channel signaling. She remains an integral part of Brown’s multidisciplinary neuroscience and pharmacology community.