Julia Dalman
Associate Professor,
Department of Biology
Julia Dallman is an associate professor in the Department of Biology and director of the University of Miami Zebrafish Facility. Using zebrafish as a model, her research seeks to understand how genetic mutations linked to autism impact function along the gut/brain axis. In particular, her lab focuses on zebrafish shank3ab and syngap1ab models that both show altered gut motility, though with distinct underlying mechanisms. Since 2023, she has teamed up with gastroenterologists (Bennett and Moshiree), software/UX engineers (Baker and Millet), and an epidemiologist focusing on GI symptoms in autism (Holingue) to better understand and characterize gastrointestinal (GI) transit, or “motility”, in people with Phelan-McDermid syndrome. With feedback from community, the team has created and optimized the STRiPES mobile-based application that allows caregivers to keep track of GI symptoms. Symptom tracking was then paired with measuring whole gut transit time using blue muffins that were sent to households all over the US. Individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome then consumed the blue muffins and caregivers tracked GI symptoms, specifically how long it takes for the blue muffin to go through the digestive system. This at-home approach is intended to reveal how GI symptoms vary with genetics and age in people with Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and can be applied in the future for other human conditions associated with GI distress. .
