Research Training

I received my B.A. from Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. I took two years off after college and worked for a non-profit in Birmingham, Alabama. At Southern Research Institute, I was enthralled with the scientific experience. I applied for a graduate program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where I was accepted and began a Ph.D. in Neuroscience. During my Ph.D. eduction, I was introduced to Dr. Victor Faundez at Emory University. Through that interaction, I decided I wanted to do a post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Faundez. I was fortunate enough to apply for and receive a fellowship in his lab. During my time at Emory, I also applied for a fellowship that allowed me to teach as well as do research, the FIRST fellowship (an IRACDA program). I enjoyed my opportunity to teach and after a few years in the program, I applied for a job teaching biology and neuroscience at Agnes Scott College, where I am today. Agnes Scott College is a small liberal arts college for women with a mission to "educate women to think deeply, live honorably, and engage in the intellectual and social challenges of their time." 

In my dissertation research, the lab of my mentor, Dr. Anne Theibert, had a strong emphasis on cell biology, and her lab was in a Neurobiology department, which allowed a natural blending of cell biology in neuroscience. These studies led to ongoing collaborations with Dr. Lucas Pozzo-Miller. The collaboration began as we described the effects on neurite outgrowth of the known genetic mutations in the MECP2 gene that results in Rett Syndrome. My work in graduate school resulted in 5 publications, including a first author publication.

Larimore, J., Chapleau, C., Schanen, C., Kudo, S., Theibert, A., Percy, A., and Pozzo-Miller, L. BDNF Overexpression in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons Prevents Dendritic Atrophy Caused by Rett-Associated MECP2 Mutations. Neurobiology of Disease 2009, (34) 199-211.

Chapleau, C., Larimore, J., Theibert, A., and Pozzo-Miller, L. Modulation of dendritic spine development and plasticity by BDNF and Vesicular Trafficking: Fundamental Roles in Neurodevelopmental Disorders associated with Mental Retardation and Autism. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders 2009 Sep;1(3):185-96.

Chapleau, C., Calfa.G., Lane, M., Albertson, A., Larimore, J., Kudo, S., Armstro, D., Percy, A., Pozzo-Miller, L. Dendritic Spine Pathologies in Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons from Rett Syndrome Brain and after Expression of Rett-Associated MECP2 Mutations. Neurobiology of Disease 2009, (35) 219-233.

Chapleau, C. A., Carlo, M.E., Larimore, J. L. and Pozzo-Miller, L. The Actions of BDNF on Dendritic Spine Density and Morphology in Organotypic Slice Cultures Depend on the Presence of Serum in Culture Media. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 2008, 169 (1) 182-190.

Moore, C., Thacker, E., Larimore, J., Gaston, D., Underwood, A., Kearns, B., Patterson, S., Jackson, T., Chapleau, C., Pozzo-Miller, L., Theibert, A. 2007. The neuronal Arf GAP centaurin {alpha}1 modulates dendritic differentiation. Journal of Cell Science 2007, 120:2683-2693.

During my post-doctoral fellowship, I trained in the laboratory of Dr. Victor Faundez in the Cell Biology Department of Emory University, an international expert in the vesicle trafficking community. In his lab, I utilized stringent and varied approaches answering focused scientific questions in cell and molecular neurobiology. I used biochemical assays, cellular extractions, and microscopy techniques to investigate the role of vesicular coat complexes in targeting proteins from the cell body to the active zone of the synapse. Work in Dr. Faundez’s resulted in three publications.

Larimore, J. Tornieri, K., Ryder, P., Gokhale, A., Zlatic, S., Craige, B., Lee, J., Talbot, K., Pare, J., Smith, Y., Faundez, V. The Schizophrenia Susceptibility Factor Dysbindin and its Associated Complexes Target Membrane Cargoes to the Synapse. Molecular Biology of the Cell December 2011.* this manuscript was highlighted by the editors and was one of the 50 most read articles in October, pre-print, for MBOC.

Gokhale, A,; Larimore, J.; Mullin, A.; So, L.; Moreno De Luca, A.; Lese-Martin, C.; Brodsky, F.; Lupashin, V., Smith, Y.; Victor Faundez. (2011) Quantitative Proteomes of a Schizophrenia Susceptibility Factor Identify Novel Roles of the Endosome-Localized BLOC-1 Complex. Journal of Neuroscience. March 2012.

Mullin AP*, Gokhale A*, Larimore J*, Faundez V. Cell Biology of the BLOC-1 Complex Subunit Dysbindin, a Schizophrenia Susceptibility Gene. Mol Neurobiol. 2011 Apr 26.  These authors contributed equally.