Profile
Julia George
Biological Sciences
Associate Professor
864-656-2328
Jordan Hall 321 [Lab]
Long Hall 231 [Office]
Educational Background
Ph.D., Molecular Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, 1992
B.S., Biochemistry, Texas A&M University, 1987
Research Interests
My lab focuses generally on how life experience influences development, cognition and learning, using the zebra finch as a model organism. We apply a mixture of molecular, biochemical, and genomic methods to understand mechanisms of healthy brain function and disease.
In one current project, we are studying how exposure to specific sounds during incubation leads to reprogramming of zebra finch development. Adult zebra finches produce "heat calls" when ambient temperatures are warm, and zebra finch embryos "eavesdrop" on these parental signals to forecast temperatures after hatching. Birds exposed to these stimuli as embryos are better adapted to warm temperatures as adults. We seek to identify the potential epigenetic mechanisms that underlie this phenomenon.
Courses Taught
BIOL 4930 - Senior Seminar
BIOL 4200 - Neurobiology
Selected Publications
FLH Kraft, OL Crino, SO Adeniran-Obey, Moraney, RA, Clayton, DF, George, JM, Buchanan, KL. Parental developmental experience affects vocal learning in offspring. Scientific Reports 14(1), 13787.
Udino E, George J, McKenzie M, Pessato A, Crino O, Buchanan K, Mariette M. Prenatal acoustic programming of mitochondrial function for high temperatures in an arid-adapted bird. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2021 December 08; 288(1964).
Rhie A, et al. Towards complete and error-free genome assemblies of all vertebrate species. Nature. 2021 April 28; 592(7856):737-746.
George J, Bell Z, Condliffe D, Dohrer K, Abaurrea T, Spencer K, Leitão A, Gahr M, Hurd P, Clayton D. Acute social isolation alters neurogenomic state in songbird forebrain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2019 July 22; 117(38):23311-23316.
Bell Z, Lovell P, Mello C, Yip P, George J, Clayton D. Urotensin-related gene transcripts mark developmental emergence of the male forebrain vocal control system in songbirds. Scientific Reports. 2019 January 28; 9(1).
