Research in my lab focuses on investigating
molecular mechanisms that control the
development of the mammalian somatosensory
system. In particular, we are studying
how somatic sensory neurons form stereotyped
connections with their peripheral targets
on the body surface and at the same
time form precise connections inside
the brain, thus establishing a mirror
image of the body's sensory space in
the central nervous system.
We use a variety of approaches including
genome-wide gene expression analysis; in
vitro neuronal culture assays and
imaging; as well as the generation
of transgenic and mutant mice strains
to study the entire developmental program
of sensory neuron differentiation,
axon outgrowth, target selection and
the formation of a functional somatosensory
map.
