Title/Position
Research Assistant Professor, Neuroscience Dept., Meriney Lab
Research Interests
My work focuses on understanding how the nanoscale organization of neurotransmitter release sites at the neuromuscular junction influences the function of this synapse in both healthy and disease states.
Recent Publications
- Chapman CA, Povysheva N, Tarr TB, Nuwer JL, Meriney SD, Johnson JW, Jacob TC. (2025) Chronic benzodiazepine treatment triggers gephyrin scaffold destabilization and GABAAR subsynaptic reorganization. Front Cell Neurosci. 19:1624813
- Kang J, Schroeder ME, Lee Y, Kapoor C, Yu E, Tarr TB, Titterton K, Zeng M, Park D, Niederst E, Wei D, Feng G, Boyden ES. (2024) Multiplexed expansion revealing for imaging multiprotein nanostructures in healthy and diseased brain. Nat Commun. 15(1):9722.
- Ginebaugh SP, Badawi Y, Laghaei R, Mersky G, Wallace CJ, Tarr TB, Kaufhold C, Reddel S, Meriney SD (2023) Simulations of active zone structure and function at mammalian NMJs predict that loss of calcium channels alone is not sufficient to replicate LEMS effects. J Neurophysiol. 129(5):1259-1277
- Sarkar D, Kang J, Wassie AT, Schroeder ME, Peng Z, Tarr TB, Tang A, Niederst E, Young JZ, Su H, Park D, Yin P, Tsai L, Blanpied TA, Boyden ES (2022) Expansion Revealing: Decrowding Proteins to Unmask Invisible Brain Nanostructures. Nat. Biomed. Eng. 6(9):1057-1073
- Ginebaugh SP, Badawi Y, Tarr TB, Meriney SD (2022) Neuromuscular Active Zone Structure and Function in Healthy and Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome States. Biomolecules. 12(6): 740
- Held RG, Liu C, Ma K, Ramsey AM, Tarr TB, De Nola G, Wang SSH, Wang J, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Schneider T, Sun J, Blanpied TA, Kaeser PS (2020) Synapse and Active Zone Assembly in the Absence of Presynaptic Ca2+ Channels and Ca2+ Entry. Neuron. 107(4): 667-683
- Laghaei R, Ma J, Tarr TB, Homan AE, Kelly L, Tilvawala MS, Vuocolo BS, Rajasekaran HP, Meriney SD, Dittrich M (2018) Transmitter release site organization can predict synaptic function at the neuromuscular junction. J. Neurophysiol. 119: 1340-1355.
- Meriney SD, Tarr TB, Ojala KS, Wu M, Li Y, Lacomis D, Garcia-Ocana A, Liang M, Valdomir G, Wipf P (2018) Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome: mouse passive-transfer model illuminates disease pathology and facilitates testing therapeutic leads. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1412: 73-81
- Tarr TB, Wipf P, Meriney SD (2014) Synaptic Pathophysiology and Treatment of Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome. Mol. Neurobiol. 52: 456-63.
- Tarr TB, Liang M, Valdomir G, Frasso M, Lacomis D, Reddel SW, Wipf P, Meriney SD (2014) Complete reversal of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome synaptic impairment by the combined use of a K+ channel blocker and a Ca2+ channel agonist. J. Physiol. 592: 3687-3696.
- Tarr TB, Malick W, Liang M, Valdomir G, Frasso M, Lacomis D, Reddel SW, Garcia-Ocano A, Wipf P, Meriney SD (2013) Evaluation of a novel calcium channel agonist for therapeutic potential in Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome. J. Neuroscience. 33: 10559-67.
- Tarr TB, Dittrich M, Meriney SD (2013) Are Unreliable Release Mechanisms Conserved from NMJ to CNS? Trends Neurosci. 36: 14-22.
- Tarr TB, Valdomir G, Liang M, Wipf P, Meriney SD (2012) New calcium channel agonists as potential therapeutics in LEMS and other neuromuscular diseases. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1275: 85-91.
- Liang M, Tarr TB, Bravo-Altamirano K, Valdomir G, Rensch G, Swanson L, DeStefino NR, Mazzarisi CM, Olszewski RA, Wilson GM, Meriney SD, Wipf P (2012) Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a Selective N- and P/Q-Type Calcium Channel Agonist. ACS Med. Chem. Lett. 3: 985-90.
