The Bell lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of neural induction and anterior patterning in vertebrate embryology. In particular, they look at the role of Bmp antagonism in these processes. They use both chick and Xenopus laevis as model systems.

The Burrone lab is interested in understanding how synapses transmit information and how the number and strength of these connections is modified by activity. They use a number of different genetically-encoded reporters and modulators of activity to study these events in dissociated hippocampal neurons.

The Ch’ng lab is interested in how neuroendocrine circuits affect physiological processes in response to environmental cues in C. elegans. They are dissecting food- and temperature-related transcriptional responses to understand how environmental cues are encoded and integrated.  They are also studying how the expression and secretion of the aging related insulin-like peptides are affected by environmental factors.

The Clarke lab is using the transparency and accessibility of the zebrafish embryo to study morphogenesis and neurogenesis using live imaging techniques. They are particularly interested in the role of polarity proteins and polarized cell divisions in both these processes.

The Drescher lab aims to understand axon guidance and topographic branching of retinal ganglion axons in their target area, the tectum/superior colliculus. They are studying the interaction between neurotrophin receptors and members of the Eph family using both chick and mouse. As axon branching is intimately linked to synaptogenesis, their aim is to elucidate how the EphA-ephrinA system interacts with other factors to impact axon guidance, branching and synapse development.  

The Eickholt lab is interested in the cellular mechanism regulating neuronal circuit formation. They are using high-resolution live cell imaging and biochemical/molecular tools for the study of the temporal and spatial aspect of neuronal signaling. Several projects focus on understanding the regulation of the tumor suppressor PTEN in the neuronal growth cone and at the synapse.

The Gordon-Weeks lab is interested in the growth cone cytoskeleton and the intracellular signalling pathways that regulate it during growth cone pathfinding.  They aim to understand the molecular mechanism that links dynamic microtubules to filopodial actin filaments and how this is regulated during growth cone turning.

The Guthrie lab studies the mechanisms of axon guidance of cranial motor neurons, focusing on the axon projections to the eye muscles.  They are using in vitro and in vivo techniques to dissect the role of axon guidance molecules and their downstream signalling pathways in normal development and a congenital eye movement disorder, Duane syndrome.

The Hindges lab studies the molecular controls to establish the functional circuitry in the brain. They use the mouse and chick as model systems and are focusing mainly on the visual system development. Their work includes molecules that play a role in intraretinal connectivity, axon pathfinding mechanisms at the optic chiasm, topographic map formation and the formation of synapses. 

The Houart lab aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms establishing the identity of the forebrain areas during neurulation in vertebrates. They also explore the role of temporal and spatial variation in signaling centre formation as generator of diversity in forebrain complexity.

The Liu lab is interested in the development of the neural crest. At present, they are developing chemical tools to study the particular roles of GSK-3 and Wnt signaling. They are using two model systems, the frog Xenopus laevis and the mouse, using Xenopus to study early patterning and to rapidly test new tools and then adapting these to mammalian systems.

The Lumsden lab works on brain regionalization, particularly the nature and significance of cell-tight developmental compartments and the signalling function of inter-compartmental boundaries. Previously known from insects, their work revealed the existence of compartments in the vertebrate hindbrain. They are currently exploring compartition in the forebrain and the signalling function of a mid-diencephalic boundary responsible for patterning the thalamus and prethalamus.

Using zebrafish, chick and mouse, the Mason lab aims to understand how instructive signalling serves to direct the development of the nervous system. They primarily focus upon growth factor signalling and how it is deployed to impart regional identity, cell fate, control proliferation, direct morphogenetic movements and guide axons to their targets.

The Meyer lab aims to understand the processes shaping patterns of connectivity, using the zebrafish retinotectal projections. How, amongst nascent synapses, is a ‘correct’ synapse identified and stabilized? Using a combination of time-lapse microscopy, molecular genetics, and functional imaging techniques they are investigating the roles of neuronal activity in determining the fate of nascent synapses and hence connectivity within the visual system.

The Ng lab lab aims to understand how signalling molecules are involved as neurons differentiate and form stereotypical connections in vivo. They are mainly using molecular genetic techniques in Drosophila. Current interests include: 1) role of Jun N-terminal Kinase in axonal growth and its possible role in neurodegeneration 2) role of Transformaing Growth factor Beta signals in axonal growth and targeting 3) genes involved in axonal branching.

The Tear lab uses Drosophila to identify and characterise the genetic mechanisms that control the establishment and maintenance of the circuitry of the central nervous system.  They study how axons are guided to their appropriate targets by extracellular cues and the intracellular mechanisms that regulate how axons respond to these cues.

The Thompson lab is interested in the relationship between development of retinotopic maps and emergence of functional circuitry in the mammalian visual system. Mapping precision in inputs sets a limit to the extent of visual space processed by subsequent circuits. They study these relationships using a range of anatomical and physiological techniques.

The Williams lab is interested in dendrite shape development and the molecular control of large-scale neuron pruning. Their studies are motivated by the idea that the shape, that a neuron makes, prefigures its orderly patterns of synaptic connectivity. They aim to understand how dendrites are targeted into specific regions of neuropil in Drosophila. Concomitantly, knowing that caspase proteases are locally activated in the dendrites as they remodel, they would like to understand how this is achieved without killing the cell.