Diversity in Life Sciences

To form the right connections neurons must navigate long distances, guided by attractive and repulsive signals. These ‘guidance cues’ act like streetlights and street signs, and tell the developing neurons where to go to reach their final destinations. Just like when we are driving our cars, neurons encounter multiple signals along the road. While a number of these neuronal guidance signals have been identified, we still don’t understand how multiple attractive and repulsive cues are interpreted inside the developing neuron. Understanding how these cues are integrated and interpreted inside the cell to trigger a diverse array of developmental events is of critical importance if we are to understand the formation, function and malfunction of the human nervous system. We are investigating how a family of intracellular proteins participates in the establishment of brain circuits. These proteins (Cas family) have the potential to interpret and integrate the multiple signals that neurons receive.