Gyorgy Lur

Picture of Gyorgy Lur
Associate Professor, Neurobiology and Behavior
School of Biological Sciences
Ph.D., University of Liverpool, UK, 2010, Cellular and Molecular Physiology
Phone: (949) 824-5436
Email: glur@uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
1215 McGaugh Hall
Mail Code: 4550
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
neuronal signal integration, chronic- and acute stress, cognitive behavior, optical techniques
Research Abstract
Cortical neurons can receive up to 10,000 synaptic inputs from dozens of different sources. How do these inputs integrate to generate neuronal firing? How does the local microcircuit and the cell’s neurochemical environment regulate the relative strength of the incoming synapses? How do changes associated with neuropsychiatric conditions, like chronic stress, erode the delicate balance of neuronal circuits and result in degrading cognitive performance? These are the core questions we are exploring in the Neuronal Signal Integration Lab.

We utilize a multi-level approach to uncover fundamental principles of signal integration. To probe the cellular and circuit mechanisms of synaptic summation, the lab combines whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology with dual-color optogenetic stimulation in acute brain slices. Then, to test our predictions generated based on slice data we employ optical methods to measure and perturb neuronal activity during behavior.
Publications
Selected Publications

Lur G, Vinck MA, Tang L, Cardin JA, Higley MJ., Projection-Specific Visual Feature Encoding by Layer 5 Cortical Subnetworks. Cell Rep. 2016 Mar 22;14(11):2538-45. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.02.050. Epub 2016 Mar 10. PMID: 26972011

Lur G, Higley MJ., Glutamate Receptor Modulation Is Restricted to Synaptic Microdomains. Cell Rep. 2015 Jul 14;12(2):326-34. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.06.029. Epub 2015 Jul 2. PMID: 26146087

Gamo NJ, Lur G, Higley MJ, Wang M, Paspalas CD, Vijayraghavan S, Yang Y, Ramos BP, Peng K, Kata A, Boven L, Lin F, Roman L, Lee D, Arnsten AF., Stress Impairs Prefrontal Cortical Function via D1 Dopamine Receptor Interactions With Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Dec 15;78(12):860-70. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.01.009. Epub 2015 Feb 4. PMID: 25731884

Amatrudo JM, Olson JP, Lur G, Chiu CQ, Higley MJ, Ellis-Davies GC., Wavelength-selective one- and two-photon uncaging of GABA. ACS Chem Neurosci. 2014 Jan 15;5(1):64-70. doi: 10.1021/cn400185r. Epub 2013 Dec 4. PMID: 24304264

Chiu CQ, Lur G, Morse TM, Carnevale NT, Ellis-Davies GC, Higley MJ. Compartmentalization of GABAergic inhibition by dendritic spines. Science. 2013 May 10;340(6133):759-62. doi: 10.1126/science.1234274. PMID: 23661763
Professional Societies
Society for Neuroscience
Other Experience
Postdoctoral Associate
Yale School of Medicine, Higley Lab 2011—2017
Graduate Programs
Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program
Neurobiology and Behavior
Research Centers
Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Last updated
01/04/2024