The function of the nervous system is dependent upon trillions of neural connections.  Not only must the organism generate neuronal numbers appropriate for the needs of targets being innervated, but it must also instruct these neurons to extend axons, elaborate dendrites, and generate synapses to establish proper connectivity.  The goals of the laboratory are to elucidate the functional organization of the vertebrate peripheral nervous system and to identify key molecular events underlying axonal growth and survival and establish the principles governing development of autonomic and somatosensory circuits.  Each of our research projects makes use genetic strategies in the mouse, complemented with in physiological, anatomical and biochemical approaches. 

A main goal of the lab is to understand the functional organization of neurons of the somatosensory system. Key questions in neuroscience include: How are sensory systems established during development, and how does their organization give rise to the recognition and interpretation of sensory stimuli?  We address these fundamental questions in the context of the mouse somatosensory system with a focus on the primary sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia that underlie our sense of touch.  These low-threshold mechanosensory neurons (LTMRs) send one axonal branch into the skin and another that penetrates the spinal cord; Thus, these neurons convey tactile information from the periphery to the CNS.  We are using complementary candidate gene-based and open-ended screening strategies to identify genes that are uniquely expressed in each of the physiologically and morphologically distinct LTMR populations.  We can then exploit these genes and Cre recombinase-based genetic strategies to label select LTMRs subtypes to probe their functional organization in the skin and spinal cord, to functionally manipulate their activities, and to purify the different LTMRs classes to understand the molecular basis of their unique physiological properties.  These approaches allow us to address a range of long-standing questions, including: What are the unique contributions of distinct populations of LTMRs during tactile discrimination and the perception of touch?  How are LTMRs organized into functional circuits, and how are these circuits established during development?