Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Neurology - Ken and R
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
United States of America
Our long term line of research involves the identification and characterization of genes required fro the function, formation and degeneration of sensory receptor cells and neurons, and particularly those that mediate nociception and pain. As part of this work, we characterized major pain-transducing ion channels (TRPA1 and the ASICs) as well as genes involves in determining the number of sensory neurons being produced (Insm1). In particular, we found the Insm1 promotes the transition of progenitors in developing neuroepithelia from apical, proliferating and uncommitted (neural stem cells) to basal, terminally-dividing and neuron-producing.
Cell Biology, Molecular Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Disease, Signal Transduction