Dr. Erisir received an MD from Istanbul University School of Medicine in 1986 and a PhD in Behavioral Neuroscience from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1996. After her postdoctoral training at NYU Center for Neural Science and New York Medical School, Department of Physiology, she moved to the University of Virginia as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology in 2000. She became a tenured Associate Professor in 2007 and Professor in 2013. She served as the director of undergraduate studies for the Cognitive Science (2008-2011) and the Neuroscience (2012-2015) programs, and as the Chairperson of the Psychology department (2016-2022).

Dr. Erisir studies the  fine structure of neurons and other brain cells along sensory pathways in developing and aging brains. She is particularly interested in how synaptic circuities are formed, maintained, and how they are modified by experience. Using quantitative electron microscopy, tract-tracing immuno-identification and 3D reconstruction approaches in behaviorally and physiologically characterized animal models, her work aims to identify the molecular players in axon reorganization, synaptic pruning and sensory plasticity.  In addition, her lab studies the development of neuropathological alterations in animal models of aging and Alzheimer’s dementia.