Our laboratory seeks to understand the complex molecular and cellular events that establish neuronal morphology and function during embryonic brain development. An early and essential event in mammalian embryonic brain development is neuronal polarization, in which distinct axonal and dendritic compartments are formed. Axons and dendrites differ in the molecular compositions of their cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, and plasma membrane. These differences underlie the unique morphology and function of these compartments, and are responsible for the directed information flow in the brain. Aberrations in neuron polarization lead to developmental neuropathologies, including intellectual and motor disabilities, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders. Our lab seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms for the critical events in neuronal polarization during normal development and in disease pathologies.
