Faculty Appointments
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual SciencesAssistant Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual SciencesHooley Family Dean's Faculty Fellow in Biological SciencesHooley Family Dean's Faculty Fellow in Biological Sciences
Education
Ph.D., Behavioual and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IowaB.S., Chemistry and Neurophysiology and Behavior, University of California, Riverside, California
Office Address
Medical Research Building (MRB) III
lab: 8268
office: 8270
Nashville, TN 37235
lab: 8268
office: 8270
Nashville, TN 37235
Research Description
my lab aims to understand the factors that promote or impair the development of neural circuits. Right now, we are specifically studying how neural activity, arising either spontaneously within the neural circuits or evoked by environmental stimuli, affect the development of the visual system. We use a combination of genetic tools and environmental manipulations to alter activity during development, and then use behavior, two-photon calcium imaging, and multielectrode array recordings to assess visual function. Our work is aimed at gaining a fundamental understanding of neural development but has also been shown to be clinically relevant. My lab will soon branch out to answer similar questions in the development of the somatosensory and motor system. Check out the lab website for more info: tiriaclab.org
Research Keywords
Development, systems neuroscience, vision, retina, sleep, histamine, electrophysiology, Imaging, Biological Sciences, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, Computational Biology, Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Neuropharmacology, Quantitative Biology, Systems Biology
Publications
Vita DJ, Orsi FS, Stanko NG, Clark NA, Tiriac A. Development and organization of the retinal orientation selectivity map. Nat Commun. 2024 Jun 6/6/2024; 15(1): 4829. PMID: 38844438, PMCID: PMC11156980, PII: 10.1038/s41467-024-49206-z, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49206-z, ISSN: 2041-1723.
Voufo C, Chen AQ, Smith BE, Yan R, Feller MB, Tiriac A. Circuit mechanisms underlying embryonic retinal waves. Elife. 2023 Feb 2/15/2023; 12: PMID: 36790167, PMCID: PMC9988258, PII: 81983, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.81983, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Blumberg MS, Dooley JC, Tiriac A. Sleep, plasticity, and sensory neurodevelopment. Neuron [print-electronic]. 2022 Oct 10/19/2022; 110(20): 3230-42. PMID: 36084653, PMCID: PMC9588561, PII: S0896-6273(22)00751-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.08.005, ISSN: 1097-4199.
Tiriac A, Feller MB. Roles of visually evoked and spontaneous activity in the development of retinal direction selectivity maps. Trends Neurosci [print-electronic]. 2022 Jul; 45(7): 529-38. PMID: 35491255, PII: S0166-2236(22)00076-5, DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.04.002, ISSN: 1878-108X.
Caval-Holme FS, Aranda ML, Chen AQ, Tiriac A, Zhang Y, Smith B, Birnbaumer L, Schmidt TM, Feller MB. The Retinal Basis of Light Aversion in Neonatal Mice. J Neurosci [print-electronic]. 2022 May 5/18/2022; 42(20): 4101-15. PMID: 35396331, PMCID: PMC9121827, PII: JNEUROSCI.0151-22.2022, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0151-22.2022, ISSN: 1529-2401.
Tiriac A, Bistrong K, Pitcher MN, Tworig JM, Feller MB. The influence of spontaneous and visual activity on the development of direction selectivity maps in mouse retina. Cell Rep. 2022 Jan 1/11/2022; 38(2): 110225. PMID: 35021080, PMCID: PMC8805704, PII: S2211-1247(21)01729-0, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110225, ISSN: 2211-1247.
Tiriac A, Feller MB. Embryonic neural activity wires the brain. Science. 2019 Jun 6/7/2019; 364(6444): 933-4. PMID: 31171680, PII: 364/6444/933, DOI: 10.1126/science.aax8048, ISSN: 1095-9203.
Tiriac A, Smith BE, Feller MB. Light Prior to Eye Opening Promotes Retinal Waves and Eye-Specific Segregation. Neuron [print-electronic]. 2018 Dec 12/5/2018; 100(5): 1059-1065.e4-1065.e4. PMID: 30392793, PMCID: PMC6283698, PII: S0896-6273(18)30899-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.10.011, ISSN: 1097-4199.
Tiriac A, Blumberg MS. Gating of reafference in the external cuneate nucleus during self-generated movements in wake but not sleep. Elife. 2016 Aug 8/3/2016; 5: PMID: 27487470, PMCID: PMC4995095, PII: e18749, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.18749, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Tiriac A, Blumberg MS. The Case of the Disappearing Spindle Burst. Neural Plast [print-electronic]. 2016; 2016: 8037321. PMID: 27119028, PMCID: PMC4826930, DOI: 10.1155/2016/8037321, ISSN: 1687-5443.
Blumberg MS, Sokoloff G, Tiriac A, Del Rio-Bermudez C. A valuable and promising method for recording brain activity in behaving newborn rodents. Dev Psychobiol [print-electronic]. 2015 May; 57(4): 506-17. PMID: 25864710, PMCID: PMC4605431, DOI: 10.1002/dev.21305, ISSN: 1098-2302.
Tiriac A, Sokoloff G, Blumberg MS. Myoclonic Twitching and Sleep-Dependent Plasticity in the Developing Sensorimotor System. Curr Sleep Med Rep. 2015 Mar; 1(1): 74-9. PMID: 25705581, PMCID: PMC4334153, DOI: 10.1007/s40675-015-0009-9, ISSN: 2198-6401.
Tiriac A, Del Rio-Bermudez C, Blumberg MS. Self-generated movements with "unexpected" sensory consequences. Curr Biol [print-electronic]. 2014 Sep 9/22/2014; 24(18): 2136-41. PMID: 25131675, PMCID: PMC4175005, PII: S0960-9822(14)00916-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.053, ISSN: 1879-0445.
Tiriac A, Uitermarkt BD, Fanning AS, Sokoloff G, Blumberg MS. Rapid whisker movements in sleeping newborn rats. Curr Biol [print-electronic]. 2012 Nov 11/6/2012; 22(21): 2075-80. PMID: 23084988, PMCID: PMC3494768, PII: S0960-9822(12)01072-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.009, ISSN: 1879-0445.
Cooke DF, Goldring AB, Yamayoshi I, Tsourkas P, Recanzone GH, Tiriac A, Pan T, Simon SI, Krubitzer L. Fabrication of an inexpensive, implantable cooling device for reversible brain deactivation in animals ranging from rodents to primates. J Neurophysiol [print-electronic]. 2012 Jun; 107(12): 3543-58. PMID: 22402651, PMCID: PMC3378414, PII: jn.01101.2011, DOI: 10.1152/jn.01101.2011, ISSN: 1522-1598.
Voufo C, Chen AQ, Smith BE, Yan R, Feller MB, Tiriac A. Circuit mechanisms underlying embryonic retinal waves. Elife. 2023 Feb 2/15/2023; 12: PMID: 36790167, PMCID: PMC9988258, PII: 81983, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.81983, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Blumberg MS, Dooley JC, Tiriac A. Sleep, plasticity, and sensory neurodevelopment. Neuron [print-electronic]. 2022 Oct 10/19/2022; 110(20): 3230-42. PMID: 36084653, PMCID: PMC9588561, PII: S0896-6273(22)00751-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.08.005, ISSN: 1097-4199.
Tiriac A, Feller MB. Roles of visually evoked and spontaneous activity in the development of retinal direction selectivity maps. Trends Neurosci [print-electronic]. 2022 Jul; 45(7): 529-38. PMID: 35491255, PII: S0166-2236(22)00076-5, DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.04.002, ISSN: 1878-108X.
Caval-Holme FS, Aranda ML, Chen AQ, Tiriac A, Zhang Y, Smith B, Birnbaumer L, Schmidt TM, Feller MB. The Retinal Basis of Light Aversion in Neonatal Mice. J Neurosci [print-electronic]. 2022 May 5/18/2022; 42(20): 4101-15. PMID: 35396331, PMCID: PMC9121827, PII: JNEUROSCI.0151-22.2022, DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0151-22.2022, ISSN: 1529-2401.
Tiriac A, Bistrong K, Pitcher MN, Tworig JM, Feller MB. The influence of spontaneous and visual activity on the development of direction selectivity maps in mouse retina. Cell Rep. 2022 Jan 1/11/2022; 38(2): 110225. PMID: 35021080, PMCID: PMC8805704, PII: S2211-1247(21)01729-0, DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110225, ISSN: 2211-1247.
Tiriac A, Feller MB. Embryonic neural activity wires the brain. Science. 2019 Jun 6/7/2019; 364(6444): 933-4. PMID: 31171680, PII: 364/6444/933, DOI: 10.1126/science.aax8048, ISSN: 1095-9203.
Tiriac A, Smith BE, Feller MB. Light Prior to Eye Opening Promotes Retinal Waves and Eye-Specific Segregation. Neuron [print-electronic]. 2018 Dec 12/5/2018; 100(5): 1059-1065.e4-1065.e4. PMID: 30392793, PMCID: PMC6283698, PII: S0896-6273(18)30899-7, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.10.011, ISSN: 1097-4199.
Tiriac A, Blumberg MS. Gating of reafference in the external cuneate nucleus during self-generated movements in wake but not sleep. Elife. 2016 Aug 8/3/2016; 5: PMID: 27487470, PMCID: PMC4995095, PII: e18749, DOI: 10.7554/eLife.18749, ISSN: 2050-084X.
Tiriac A, Blumberg MS. The Case of the Disappearing Spindle Burst. Neural Plast [print-electronic]. 2016; 2016: 8037321. PMID: 27119028, PMCID: PMC4826930, DOI: 10.1155/2016/8037321, ISSN: 1687-5443.
Blumberg MS, Sokoloff G, Tiriac A, Del Rio-Bermudez C. A valuable and promising method for recording brain activity in behaving newborn rodents. Dev Psychobiol [print-electronic]. 2015 May; 57(4): 506-17. PMID: 25864710, PMCID: PMC4605431, DOI: 10.1002/dev.21305, ISSN: 1098-2302.
Tiriac A, Sokoloff G, Blumberg MS. Myoclonic Twitching and Sleep-Dependent Plasticity in the Developing Sensorimotor System. Curr Sleep Med Rep. 2015 Mar; 1(1): 74-9. PMID: 25705581, PMCID: PMC4334153, DOI: 10.1007/s40675-015-0009-9, ISSN: 2198-6401.
Tiriac A, Del Rio-Bermudez C, Blumberg MS. Self-generated movements with "unexpected" sensory consequences. Curr Biol [print-electronic]. 2014 Sep 9/22/2014; 24(18): 2136-41. PMID: 25131675, PMCID: PMC4175005, PII: S0960-9822(14)00916-6, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.07.053, ISSN: 1879-0445.
Tiriac A, Uitermarkt BD, Fanning AS, Sokoloff G, Blumberg MS. Rapid whisker movements in sleeping newborn rats. Curr Biol [print-electronic]. 2012 Nov 11/6/2012; 22(21): 2075-80. PMID: 23084988, PMCID: PMC3494768, PII: S0960-9822(12)01072-X, DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.009, ISSN: 1879-0445.
Cooke DF, Goldring AB, Yamayoshi I, Tsourkas P, Recanzone GH, Tiriac A, Pan T, Simon SI, Krubitzer L. Fabrication of an inexpensive, implantable cooling device for reversible brain deactivation in animals ranging from rodents to primates. J Neurophysiol [print-electronic]. 2012 Jun; 107(12): 3543-58. PMID: 22402651, PMCID: PMC3378414, PII: jn.01101.2011, DOI: 10.1152/jn.01101.2011, ISSN: 1522-1598.