Paul A. Garrity

Professor of Biology

Departments/Programs

Biology

Degrees

California Institute of Technology, Ph.D.
Swarthmore College, B.A.

Expertise

Molecular genetics of sensory transduction and behavior

Profile

My research focuses on the molecular genetic basis of sensory transduction and behavior. My lab investigates the molecular detectors and neural circuits that sense temperature and chemicals. We study thermal and chemical sensation because it allows us to address fundamental questions in neuroscience, molecular biology, biophysics, and evolution, while providing insights relevant to human health and the development of new technologies for controlling neuronal activity.

Courses Taught

BIOL	22a	Genetics and Molecular Biology
BIOL	200a	Proseminar
NBIO	123b	Population Genetics/Genomics
NBIO	147a	Neurogenetics

Awards and Honors

8th Annual Alberta Gotthardt and Henry Strage Award for Aspiring Youth Science Faculty (2006)

Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation Scholar (1999)

McKnight Scholar in Neurosciences (1998)

Special Fellow of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (1998)

Bank of America-Giannini Foundation Medical Research Fellow (1997)

Helen Hay Whitney Fellow (1994)

Scholarship

L. Ni, M. Klein, K. Svec, G. Budelli, E.C. Chang, A.J. Ferrer, R. Benton, A.D.T. Samuel, and P.A. Garrity. "The Ionotropic Receptors Ir21a and Ir25a mediate cool sensing in Drosophila." eLife (2016). (forthcoming)

B. Barbagallo and P.A. Garrity. "Temperature sensation in Drosophila." Current Opinion in Neurobiology 34C. (2015): 8-13.

C. Greppi, G. Budelli, and P.A. Garrity. "Some like it hot, but not too hot." eLife 15. 4 (2015): e12838.

L.M. Head, X. Tang, S.E. Hayley, T. Goda, Y. Umezaki, E. Chang, J.R. Leslie, M. Fujiwara, P.A. Garrity, and F.N. Hamada. "The influence of light on temperature preference in Drosophila." Current Biology 25. (2015): 1063-1068.

M. Klein, B. Afonso, A. Vonner, L. Hernandez-Nunea, M. Berck, C.J. Tabone, E.A. Kane, V. Pieribone, M.N. Nitabach, A. Cardona, M. Zlatic, S. Sprecher, M. Gershow, P. Garrity and A.D.T. Samuel. "Sensory determinants of behavioral dynamics in Drosophila thermotaxis.." PNAS 112. 2 (2015): E220-E229.

Z.A. Knecht, R. Gaudet, and P.A. Garrity. "The touching tail of a mechanotransduction channel." Cell 162. (2015): 1214-1216.

L. Ni, P. Bronk, E.C. Chang, A.M. Lowell, V.C. Panzano, J.O. Flam, D.L. Theobald, L.C. Griffith, and P.A. Garrity. "A gustatory receptor paralogue controls rapid warmth avoidance in Drosophila.." Nature 500. (2013): 580-584.

Sengupta, Piali and Garrity, Paul A.. "Temperature sensing." Current Biology 23. (2013): R304-R307.

J.G. Bernstein, P.A. Garrity^, and E.S. Boyden^. "Optogenetics and thermogenetics: technologies for controlling the activity of targeted cells within intact neural circuits.." Current Opinion in Neurobiology 22. (2012): 61-71.

K. Kang, V.C. Panzano, E.C. Chang, L. Ni, A.M. Dainis, A.M. Jenkins, K. Regna, M.A.T. Muskavitch and P.A. Garrity.. "Modulation of TRPA1 thermal sensitivity enables sensory discrimination in Drosophila.." Nature 481. (2012): 76-80.

4. S. Lahiri, K. Shen, M. Klein, A. Tang, E. Kane, M. Gershow, P. Garrity, and A.D.T. Samuel.. "A two-step program of motor dynamics mediates navigation in Drosophila larvae.." PLoS One 6. (2011): e23180.

D.A. Glauser, W.C. Chen, R. Agin, B.L. MacInnis, A.B. Hellman, P.A. Garrity, M. Tan, and M.B. Goodman.. "FLP-21/NPR-1 signaling controls heat avoidance response in Caenorhabditis elegans.." Genetics 188. (2011): 91-103.

G.G. Neely, A.C. Keene, P. Duchek, E.C. Chang, Q.P. Wang, Y.A. Aksoy, M. Rosenzweig, M. Costigan, C.J. Woolf, P.A. Garrity, and J.M. Penninger.. "TRPA1 regulates thermal nociception in Drosophila.." PLoS One 6. (2011): e24343.

Garrity, Paul A.. "Weakly acidic, but strongly irritating: TRPA1 and the activation of nociceptors by intracellular acidification.." Journal of General Physiology 137. (2011): 489-491.

Garrity, Paul A.. "Feel the light.." Nature 968. 7326 (2010): 900-901.

K. Kang, S.R. Pulver, V.C. Panzano, E.C. Chang, L.C. Griffith, D.L. Theobald and P.A. Garrity.. "Analysis of Drosophila TRPA1 reveals an ancient origin for human chemical nociception.." Nature 464. 7288 (2010): 597-600.

L. Luo, M. Gershow, C. Fang-Yen, M. Rosenzweig, K. Kang, P.A. Garrity*, and A.D. Samuel*.. "Navigational decision-making in Drosophila thermotaxis.." J. Neuroscience 30. 12 (2010): 4261-4272.

Neely G, Hess A, Costigan M, Keene A, Goulas S, Langeslag M, Griffin R, Belfer I, Dai F, Smith S, … Subramaniam S, Garrity P, Bellen H, Woolf C, Penninger J.. "A genome-wide Drosophila pain screen identifies alpha2delta3 as an evolutionarily conserved pain gene.." Cell 143. 4 (2010): 628-638.

P.A. Garrity, M.B. Goodman, A.D. Samuel, P. Sengupta.. "Running hot and cold: behavioral strategies, neural circuits and the molecular machinery for thermotaxis in C. elegans and Drosophila.." Genes and Development 24. 21 (2010): 2365-2382.

Panzano VC, Kang K, Garrity PA.. "Infrared snake eyes: TRPA1 and the thermal sensitivity of the snake pit organ.." Science Signaling 3. 127 (2010): pe22.

M.E. Dillon, G. Wang, P.A. Garrity, and R.B. Huey. "Thermal preference in Drosophila.." Journal of Thermal Biology 34. (2009): 109-119.

S.R. Pulver, S. Pashkovski, N.J. Hornstein, P.A. Garrity, and L.C. Griffith. "Temporal dynamics of neuronal activation by Channelrhodopsin-2 and TRPA1 determine behavioral output in Drosophila larvae.." Journal of Neurophysiology 101. (2009): 3075-3088.

F. Hamada, M. Rosenzweig, K. Kang, S. R. Pulver, A. Ghezzi, T.J. Jegla and P.A. Garrity. "An internal sensor controlling temperature preference in Drosophila.." Nature 454. (2008): 217-220.

K. M. Parisky, J. Agosto, S. R. Pulver, Y. Shang, E. Kuklin, J.L. Hodge, K. Kang, X. Liu, P. A. Garrity, M. Rosbash and L. C. Griffith. "PDF cells are a GABA-responsive wake-promoting component of the Drosophila sleep circuit.." Neuron 26. (2008): 672-681.

M. Rosenzweig, K. Kang, and P.A. Garrity. "Distinct TRP channels are required for warm and cool avoidance in Drosophila melanogaster.." Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences 105. (2008): 14668-14673.

Garrity, Paul A.. "The role of adaptation in C. elegans thermotaxis. Focus on "Short-term adaptation and temporal processing in the cryophilic response of Caenorabditis elegans"." J. Neurophysiology 97. 3 (2007): 1874-1876.

Whited JL, Robichaux MB, Yang JC, and Garrity, Paul A.. "Ptpmeg is required for the proper establishment and maintenance of axon projections in the central brain of Drosophila." Development 134. 1 (2007): 43-53.

R. Khodosh, A. Augsburger, T. Schwarz, and Garrity, Paul A.. "Bchs, a BEACH domain protein, antagonizes Rab11 in synapse morphogenesis and other developmental events." Development 133. 23 (2006): 4655-4665.