William Marks

William Marks is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas), serving as the Undergraduate Teaching Lab Coordinator. He holds academic affiliations with the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and the Department of Neuroscience. His research focuses on neurovirology, specifically HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, and explores circuit physiology underlying learning and memory. He received his PhD in Neuroscience from Virginia Commonwealth University (2017), MA in Biology from SUNY Buffalo State (2012), and BS in Biology from Franciscan University of Steubenville (2009).

His research investigates how HIV-1 Tat protein and morphine interact to disrupt neuronal function in striatal and hippocampal circuits, with a focus on synaptic plasticity, dendritic spine dynamics, and electrophysiological changes. He employs optogenetic techniques and in vivo calcium imaging to study temporal and contextual memory formation. Recent work highlights sex-related differences in cognitive deficits linked to HIV pathogenesis, revealing disruptions in Arc/Arg3.1 signaling pathways.

Dr. Marks coordinates undergraduate neuroscience teaching labs, receiving a 2025 Instructional Improvement Award for developing virtual reality applications and physiological recording tools in lab curricula. His funded projects emphasize integrating advanced technologies to enhance neuroscience education. He has published extensively on neurovirology, drug neurotoxicity, and neural circuit mechanisms, with over 20 peer-reviewed articles since 2015.

Professional preparation includes a postdoctoral fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center (2018–2023), where he studied the neural circuits governing temporal and contextual memory integration. His work bridges basic neuroscience research with educational innovation, fostering student engagement through hands-on laboratory experiences.