Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology

The human brain has on the order of 100 billion neurons, 100 billion glia, and 100 trillion synapses, yet the brain is not just a jumble of wires and insulation and connections. The Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Neuroscience program tackles the fundamental basis by which the brain is constructed, including the molecular machines that make it work, the cellular principles underlying computation, and the developmental rules governing assembly. Research spans stem cells, neural and glial diversity, neural circuit formation, sensory signal transduction, activity-dependent plasticity, circuit wiring and remodeling to achieve behavior, "outside influences" including toxins, environmental niches, and microbes, and the genetic and environmental origins of neural disorders. Research is highly collaborative, with projects combining research activities centered in the Institute of Neuroscience (ION) with those in the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and the Institute of Ecology and Evolution (IEE). Research in this area is supported by the Developmental Biology Training Grant and the Genetics Training Grant, and activities include weekly journal clubs, joint research group meetings, the Developmental Interest Group meeting, a yearly Development symposium led by graduate students in the participating laboratories, and the ION, IMB, and IEE seminar series.

Image