Department of Biology · University of Iowa

How does a neuron
wire into a circuit?

We study the overlapping molecular mechanisms that coordinate the formation of electrical and chemical synapses in the developing brain with the goal of better understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.

Our Research Join the Lab

Our Research

Synapse coordination
at the heart of brain wiring

The Martin Lab is driven by a fundamental question in developmental neuroscience: how does a neuron decide to build a chemical synapse versus an electrical synapse and how does it balance these synapse populations? We address this using larval zebrafish, and specifically the Mauthner cell circuit, a powerful vertebrate model that lets us image and manipulate synapses inside a developing brain at particular times amongst known cell-cell contact points.

Chemical synapses transmit signals through neurotransmitters and receptors; electrical synapses connect neurons directly through gap junction channels. Though structurally distinct, the molecules that govern their formation overlap in unexpected ways. Mapping those molecular intersections — what we call synapse coordination — is the organizing question of our lab.

This work has direct relevance to human health. Many genes mutated in neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, epilepsy, and intellectual disability encode synaptic proteins, and imbalances in synapse populations are found across different disorders, suggesting that disrupted synapse coordination may be a shared mechanism across these conditions. We aim to build the foundational knowledge necessary to develop future targeted therapies.

2025
Lab opens at University of Iowa

Publications

Selected publications

Electrical Synapse Form & Function

  • 2024

    Electrical synapse molecular diversity revealed by proximity-based proteomic discovery Preprint

    Michel J.C.*, Martin E.A.*, Crow W.E., Kissinger J.S., et al.  ·  bioRxiv

    DOI
  • 2023

    Neurobeachin controls the asymmetric subcellular distribution of electrical synapse proteins

    Martin E.A.#, Michel J.C., Kissinger J.S., Echeverry F.A., et al.  ·  Current Biology, 33(10)

    DOI
  • 2023

    Electrical synapse structure requires distinct isoforms of a postsynaptic scaffold

    Michel J.C., Grivette M.B., …, Martin E.A., Miller A.C.  ·  PLOS Genetics

    DOI
  • 2021

    Electrical synaptic transmission requires a postsynaptic scaffolding protein

    Lasseigne A.M.*, Echeverry F.A.*, Ijaz S.*, Michel J.C.*, Martin E.A., et al.  ·  eLife

    DOI
  • 2020

    Understanding the molecular and cell biological mechanisms of electrical synapse formation

    Martin E.A.*#, Lasseigne A.M.*, Miller A.C.#  ·  Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 14

    DOI

Chemical Synapse Form & Function

  • 2020

    Kirrel3-mediated synapse formation is attenuated by disease-associated missense variants

    Taylor M.R.*, Martin E.A.*, Sinnen B., Trilokekar R., et al.  ·  Journal of Neuroscience, 40(28)

    DOI
  • 2017

    Heterophilic Type II cadherins are required for high-magnitude synaptic potentiation in the hippocampus

    Basu R., Duan X., Taylor M.R., Martin E.A., et al.  ·  Neuron, 96(1)

    Link
  • 2017

    Examining hippocampal mossy fiber synapses by 3D electron microscopy in wildtype and Kirrel3 knockout mice

    Martin E.A., Woodruff D., Rawson R.L., Williams M.E.  ·  eNeuro, 4(3)

    DOI
  • 2015

    The intellectual disability gene Kirrel3 regulates target-specific mossy fiber synapse development in the hippocampus

    Martin E.A.*, Muralidhar S.*, Wang Z., Cervantes D.C., et al.  ·  eLife, 4

    DOI
PubMed Bibliography ↗ Google Scholar ↗

Lab Members

The team

Dr. E. Anne Martin

Principal Investigator

E. Anne Martin, PhD

  • PhD, Neurobiology & Anatomy Department, University of Utah
  • Postdoc, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Iowa

Interests: building brains, reading past midnight, and guerilla gardening

UI Profile Google Scholar
Travis Sirevicius

Graduate Student

Travis Sirevicius

  • iBio Program
  • BA, Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology — Drake University, 2024
  • Originally from Evergreen Park, Illinois

Interests: pickles, the concept of Herbert Hoover, fishing, and gardening

Anneke Knauss

Graduate Student

Anneke Knauss

  • Neuroscience Program
  • BA, Neuroscience — Luther College, 2022
  • Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Interests: knitting, spending time with her plants, and lots of cooking

Emma Doucet

Graduate Student

Emma Doucet

  • Neuroscience Program
  • BS, Neuroscience & MS, Multidisciplinary Biomedical Science — UAB
  • Originally from Torbert, Louisiana

Interests: making & crafting (crochet, painting, sewing), puzzles, and reading fantasy and sci-fi books

Joseph Byrne

Research Associate

Joseph Byrne

  • BS, Neuroscience — Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa
  • Originally from Davenport, Iowa

Interests: self-taught foreign language, art, writing, computer science, and music

Maddie Mulligan

Research Intern

Maddie Mulligan

  • BS, Biology, University of Iowa, 2026
  • Originally from Clarendon Hills, Illinois

Interests: watercoloring, baking, biking, sailing, or exploring anything ocean-related when she's not land-locked

Nathan Murray

Undergraduate Researcher

Nathan Murray

  • EMT, Cherokee Regional Healthcare Center (summers)
  • PADI Advanced Open Water Scuba Diver
  • Originally from Sioux City, Iowa

Interests: fishing, performing in the black and gold drumline, and working towards his rescue diver certification

Lab Pets

Wiggles

Wiggles

Interests: food, chipmunks, and food

Watney

Watney

Interests: going outside, barking at the sky, and sleeping

Fisher

Fisher

Interests/enemies: digitally rendered grasshoppers, Piff (green dragon pillow pet), all birds, and toilet paper

Billy

Billy

Join the lab

We are recruiting motivated PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduate researchers excited by synapse biology, zebrafish genetics, and developmental neuroscience.

View Open Positions

News & Updates

What's new in the lab

Contact & Join

Get in touch

Whether you're a prospective trainee, a collaborator, or just curious about our work, we'd love to hear from you.

Contact information

✉
Email
eamartin1@uiowa.edu
📍
Address
Department of Biology
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242
🔗
Online
biology.uiowa.edu

Open positions

  • PhD Students

    Apply through the UI Biology Graduate Program or the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program. Rotation students are welcome — reach out to discuss.

  • Postdoctoral Fellows

    We seek motivated postdocs with a background in zebrafish genetics, cell biology, or fluorescence imaging. Email a CV, a brief statement of research interests, and contact information for three references.

  • Undergraduate Researchers

    UI undergraduates interested in hands-on lab experience are encouraged to reach out. No prior bench experience required — just curiosity and commitment.