Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration Group
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GRADUATE PROGRAM IN NEUROSCIENCE CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE, NEURODEVELOPMENT AND NEURODEGENERATION GROUP OUR MISSION To boldly move the field of cellular neuroscience forward in transformaonal ways that change the course of basic science while dramacally shiing paradigms for disease treatment strategies. Rather than following the crowd, our approach is to think out of the box, innovate and forge new direcons. WHO WE ARE We have a robust muldisciplinary sub-focus on cellular Other studies delve into signaling pathways, genecs and neuroscience, neurodevelopment and neurodegeneraon. epigenecs. Model systems include human induced This research group starts with basic cellular and pluripotent stem cells, rodents and flies. developmental neuroscience, with cung-edge mechanisc Building on the basic science themes that are strong among the studies on quesons such as: faculty, an ever-growing level of aenon in the group is Ÿ How axons and dendrites grow devoted to neurodevelopmental disorders and neuro- Ÿ How neurons migrate degenerave diseases. Ÿ How growth cones find their targets Ÿ How organelles are trafficked in the neuron Hippocampal neuron Cerebral organoid Artwork by Hemalatha Muralidharan UNDERSTANDING MECHANISMS Our approach combines mechanisc basic science and Current research areas disease-oriented research so that enrely new insights can Neuronal cytoskeleton drive our efforts toward novel therapies. Ÿ Microtubule organizaon (Baas) We have a highly collaborave atmosphere wherein the Ÿ Axonal and dendric transport (Baas, Spilios) experse and insights of mulple teams in three departments Ÿ Microtubules and axon regeneraon (Baas, Fischer, Tom) (Neurobiology & Anatomy, Pharmacology & Physiology, and Biology) combine to drive projects forward: Neuronal development Ÿ Neurogenesis and migraon (Toyooka) Methodologies Ÿ Neurite formaon (Toyooka) Ÿ Rodent and Drosophila models Ÿ Human induced pluripotent stem cells and organoids Neurodegeneraon Ÿ Microscopy – in vitro, ex vivo, me-lapse Ÿ (Baas, Cunningham, Marenda, Meucci, Qiang, Raghupathi, Ÿ Molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry Spilios) Ÿ Mul-electrode in vitro, ex vivo electrophysiology Ÿ Drug development GRADUATE PROGRAM IN NEUROSCIENCE CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE, NEURODEVELOPMENT AND NEURODEGENERATION GROUP DISEASE ETIOLOGY AND TREATMENT Tauopathies Hereditary Spasc Paraplegia A group of disorders involving aberraons to the Corcospinal degeneraon leading to gait impairment, caused microtubule-associated protein tau. by mutaons to the microtubule-severing protein spasn. (Baas, Fischer, Marenda, Qiang, Raghupathi) (Baas, Marenda, Qiang, collaboraon with Detloff and Lane) Gulf War Illness Ausm Spectrum Disorders A chronic disorder suffered by veterans of the First Gulf War Genc mutaons affecng early developmental mepoints exposed to pescides and nerve agents. such as neuronal morphogenesis, migraon, and corcal (Baas, Qiang, collaboraon with España) connecvity. (Toyooka, collaboraon with Gao and the AJ Drexel Ausm Neuro-AIDS Instute) HIV-AIDS adversely affects every system of the body and has profound negave effects on the nervous system. (Meucci, others) Corcal secon Neurons in the cortex OUR TRAINEES Graduate students are the centerpiece of the process, the hub Students in our program successfully publish in premier of the collaborave efforts and the spark for new ideas. journals such as Cell Reports, Journal of Neuroscience, Journal of There are many opportunies for our trainees to aend Cell Biology and Current Biology. conferences and meet with leaders in the fields of science, medicine, government and industry. Get in Touch Program Director: Program Administrator: Chair of Admission Committee: Peter Baas, PhD; [email protected] Ipatia Daigle; [email protected] Rodrigo España, PhD; [email protected].