Notable Achievements

Associate Professor of Biology Kim McArthur co-authored the article “Trigeminal and facial branchiomotor neurons have shared muscle targets in zebrafish larvae,” which was recently accepted for publication in the journal Anatomy. This work was completed in collaboration with Dr. Ritika Ghosal and Dr. Johann Eberhart in the Eberhart lab at UT-Austin, and demonstrates that cranial motor neurons have overlapping innervation patterns on cranial muscles – in contradiction to previous dogma in the field. This overlap may serve an important role in the coordinated action of cranial muscles in breathing and feeding behaviors.

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Kimberly McArthur

Associate Professor of Biology

Expertise

Neuroscience, Developmental Biology, Microscopy

Dr. Kim McArthur is a developmental neurobiologist. As an undergraduate, she attended another awesome liberal arts college (Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN), majoring in biology and religion. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis, then completed post-doctoral work at Cornell University before joining Southwestern as an assistant professor in 2019.

  • Biography

    Dr. Kim McArthur is a developmental neurobiologist. As an undergraduate, she attended another awesome liberal arts college (Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN), majoring in biology and religion. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis, then completed post-doctoral work at Cornell University before joining Southwestern as an assistant professor in 2019.

  • Research

    Students in the McArthur lab investigate the fundamentals of neural circuit development.

    What strategies do neurons use to choose their synaptic partners? How do these partnerships change over time, vary across individuals, and respond to disruptions? What are the consequences for neural circuit function and behavior?

    To answer these questions, we directly and non-invasively explore circuit development as it unfolds in the hindbrain of larval zebrafish, using a powerful combination of approaches — including electrophysiology, neuronal tracing, calcium imaging, and behavior.

  • Publications

    McArthur KL. (2024) Cranial motor neuron input specificity refined by activity. Trends Neurosci 48(1): 5-6. PMID: 39609183

    McArthur KL, Ho W. (2024) Structure and topography of facial branchiomotor neuron dendrites in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Comp Neurol 532(11): 325682. PMID: 39497493.

    McArthur KL, Tovar VM*, Griffin-Baldwin E*, Tovar BD*, Astad EK*. (2023) Early development of respiratory motor circuits in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Comp Neurol. PMID: 36881713

    * indicates an SU student author

    McArthur KL, Fetcho JR. (2017) Key features of structural and functional organization of zebrafish facial motor neurons are resilient to disruption of neuronal migration. Curr Biol 27: 1746-1756.  PMID: 28602649

    • This research was covered in an interview for The Node.

    Chen S, Chiu CN, McArthur KL, Fetcho JR, Prober DA. (2016) TRP channel mediated neuronal activation and ablation in freely behaving zebrafish. Nat Methods 13: 147-150.  PMID: 26657556

    McArthur KL, Dickman JD. (2011) Behavioral state modulates the activity of brainstem sensorimotor neurons. J Neurosci 31: 16700-16708.  PMID: 22090497

    McArthur KL, Zakir M, Haque A, Dickman JD. (2011) Spatial and temporal characteristics of vestibular convergence. Neuroscience 192: 361-371.  PMID: 21756981

    McArthur KL, Dickman JD. (2011) State-dependent sensorimotor processing: gaze and posture stability during simulated flight in birds. J Neurophysiol 105: 1689-1700.  PMID: 21307332

    McArthur KL, Dickman JD. (2008) Canal and otolith contributions to compensatory tilt responses in pigeons. J Neurophysiol 100: 1488-1497.  PMID: 18632885