Genes and Molecules
The nervous system is an amazingly complex aggregation of billions of cells and trillions of connections. Each connection, or synapse, is comprised of over a thousand different types of proteins and there is a remarkable diversity of cell and synapse types in the nervous system. Understanding such complexity requires identification of the molecular components, their genetic encoding, and control of their expression in the brain. Dynamic regulation of expression and localization is also a focus of research at this level. Our consortium has numerous faculty working at this level: 80 faculty members from 22 departments and 6 centers. These faculty utilize many models systems, including Drosophila, rodent, non-human primate and human models to make rapid advances in this field.
Faculty studying genes and molecules
| Bradley Ander, Ph.D., M.B.A. | RNA and blood transcriptomes of stroke, brain injury and neurodisorders and effects of DNA variation |
| Karen L. Bales, Ph.D. | Behavioral neuroscience of social bonds |
| Sanchita Bhatnagar, Ph.D. | Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders; translational epigenetics |
| Laura Borodinsky, Ph.D. | Cellular and molecular mechanisms of extrinsic and intrinsic cues on development and regeneration |
| Nadean Brown, Ph.D. | Molecular mechanisms regulating the formation of the mammalian lens and retina |
| Marie E. Burns, Ph.D. | Photoreceptor physiology and degeneration, neuroinflammation in the retina |
| Tsung-YuChen, M.D.,Ph.D. | Structures, functions and physiological roles of ion channels and transporters |
| Joanna Chiu, Ph.D. | Molecular chronobiology and molecular genetics of animal behavior |
| Gino Cortopassi, Ph.D. | Pharmacological amelioration of neurodegeneration (mitochondrial and Shc strategies) |
| Jacqueline N. Crawley, Ph.D. |
Understanding genetic causes of autism and developing effective therapeutics using mouse models |
| Lillian Cruz-Orengo, Ph.D. | Neuroimmunology and molecular neuroscience |
| Wenbin Deng, Ph.D. | Molecular mechanisms of neuronal and glial cell death, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine |
| Megan Dennis, Ph.D. | Human genetics and genomics, Zebrafish to test human neural genes |
| Elva Diaz, Ph.D. | Functional genomics of nervous system development, function and disease |
| Mike Ferns, Ph.D. | Cellular and molecular basis of synapse formation in the mammalian nervous system |
| Kyle Fink, Ph.D. | Therapeutic development for genetically-linked neurological disorders |
| Diasynou Fioravante, Ph.D. | Neural circuits for prediction, learning and memory |
| Paul G.Fitzgerald, Ph.D. | Ocular lens composition |
| Alla Fomina, Ph.D. | Immune cell function |
| Andrew S. Fox, Ph.D. | Neurobiology of “affective style” |
| Patrick M. Fuller, Ph.D. | Brain substrates of behavioral state control |
| Melanie Gareau, Ph.D. | Microbiota-gut-brain axis in models of inflammatory bowel disease |
| Angie Gelli, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying pathogen dissemination to the brain |
| Cecilia Giulivi, M.S., Ph.D. | Mitochondrial dysfunction in neurological disorders |
| Tom Glaser, M.D., Ph.D. | Genetic basis of mammalian eye development and congenital eye malformations |
| Qizhi Gong, Ph.D. | Molecular mechanisms of neuronal network formation and plasticity in the mouse olfactory system |
| Frederic A. Gorin, M.D, Ph.D. | Neuropharmacology and Toxicology |
| John A. Gray, M.D., Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms of synapse development and plasticity |
| Theanne N. Griffith, Ph.D. | Mechanism of encoding of thermal sensations |
| Fuzheng Guo, Ph.D. | Neural development; glial differentiation, myelination and remyelination in neurological disorders and animal models |
| Paul J.Hagerman, M.D., Ph.D. | Molecular underpinnings of the fragile X family of disorders |
| Fumika Hamada, Ph.D. | Circadian rhythms and temperature homeostasis |
| Johannes Hell, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms of neurotransmission at synapses in the brain |
| Henry Ho, Ph.D. | Morphogenetic signaling in development and disease |
| Andrew Ishida, Ph.D. | Retinal physiology |
| Li-En Jao, Ph.D. | The roles of centrosomes and cilia in development and disease |
| Lee-Way Jin, M.D. Ph.D. | Neuropathology, autism, Alzheimer's disease |
| Jinoh Kim, Ph.D. | Intracellular Protein Trafficking and Human Diseases |
| Christina Kim, Ph.D. | Molecular and optical technologies to study the neural circuits regulating motivation |
| Paul Knoepfler, Ph.D. | Epigenetics in stem cells and cancer |
| Anna La Torre, Ph.D. | Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal progenitor competence and differentiation |
| Janine LaSalle, Ph.D. | Epigenetics in human autism-spectrum disorders |
| Pamela J. Lein, Ph.D. | Impacts of environmental stressors on the developing and aging brain |
| Nicholas Marsh-Armstrong, Ph.D. | Neuron glia interactions; glaucoma |
| A. Kimberley McAllister, Ph.D. | Synapse formation and plasticity; neuroimmune contributions to development and disease |
| Karl D. Murray, Ph.D. | Brain development |
| Manuel F. Navedo, Ph.D. | Mechanisms controlling vascular function in health and disease |
| Stephen C. Noctor, Ph.D. | Development of cortical structures in the central nervous system |
| Jan Nolta, Ph.D. | Understanding the dynamics of stem cell migration and attraction to sites of injury |
| Alex Nord, Ph.D. | Genomics in the brain development, function, and disorders |
| Martha O'Donnell, Ph.D. | Cellular mechanisms of brain water and electrolyte homeostasis in health and disease |
| David E. Olson, Ph.D. | Compound-induced neural plasticity and the development of neurotherapeutics |
| Kassandra Ori-McKenney, Ph.D. | Neuronal cytoarchitecture, Drosophila neurobiology, microtubules |
| John A. Payne, Ph.D. | Regulation of intracellular [Cl-] of neurons and cardiomyocytes |
| Isaac Pessah, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating ryanodine receptors and Ca2+ signaling |
| David E. Pleasure, M.D. | Pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis and leukodystrophies |
| Edward N. Pugh, Jr., Ph.D. | Phototransduction in mouse cone photoreceptors |
| Gerald Quon, Ph.D. |
Computational approaches to identifying the molecular and cellular mechanisms of action of genetic variants associated with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders |
| Colin Reardon, Ph.D. | IBD, autoimmunity, septic shock, biolectronic medicine, neuroimmunology |
| David P. Richman, M.D. | Diseases of the neuromuscular synapse |
| Michael A. Rogawski, M.D., Ph.D. | Cellular and synaptic neurophysiology; neurosteroids; epilepsy and migraine; drug development. |
| Jon Sack, Ph.D. | Imaging and controlling ion channel function |
| David J. Segal, Ph.D. | Genome and epigenomic editing for the study and treatment of neurologic disorders |
| Frank R. Sharp, M.D. | Gene expression of blood in patients with stroke, Alzheimers, autism and Tourette syndrome |
| Jill L. Silverman, Ph.D. | Curative, precision strategies for single gene caused neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), intellectual disabilities and pediatric epilepsies |
| Sergi Simo, Ph.D. | Neuronal migration and related disorders |
| Boryana Stamova, M.S., M.S., Ph.D. | Transcriptomic architecture in disease; biomarkers for precision medicine |
| Danielle S. Stolzenberg, Ph.D. | Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms inexperience-dependent changes in caregiving behavior |
| Julie Sutcliffe, Ph.D. | Translational Molecular Imaging, probe development and screening |
| Flora Tassone, Ph.D. | Transcriptional and translational regulation of fragile X (FMR1) gene |
| James Trimmer, Ph.D. | Cell signaling in mammalian neurons, neuronal cell biology, membrane protein trafficking and function, affinity reagent development and validation |
| Richard Tucker, Ph.D. | Cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, cell motility and differentiation |
| Judith Anne Van de Water, Ph.D. | Neuroimmunology, clinical immunology and immunopathology, gestational immune environment |
| Vicki L. Wheelock, M.D. | Movement disorders, including Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, ataxia; Deep brain stimulation |
| Jennifer L. Whistler, Ph.D. | Effects of clinically important drugs and drugs of abuse on the brain |
| Rachel Whitmer, Ph.D. | Epidemiology and disparities of cognitive aging, Alzheimer’s disease, oldest-old |
| Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy | Structure and function of voltage-gated ion channels, computational design and chemical synthesis of subtype-specific modulators |
| Konstantinos Zarbalis, Ph.D. | Migration, differentiation, and connectivity of cortical neurons |
| Chengji Zhou, Ph.D. | Morphogenetic signaling in neural development and regeneration |
| Karen Zito, Ph.D. | Molecular and cellular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity in learning and disease |