The mammalian brain contains billions of neurons that make even more billions of synaptic connections. It is the complexity of these connections that allows for our ability to perceive the outside world through our senses and is the framework for higher cognitive functions such as learning, memory, thought, and emotion. The Feldheim lab is interested in understanding how neural connections are generated during development. Most neural projections are topographic in nature, meaning that the neighbor-neighbor relationships of neurons in a projection field maintain their relationships when choosing synaptic partners in a target area. It is thought that there is a combination of molecular cues and neural-activity dependent cues that help guide axons to their proper location and strengthen appropriate synapses. One family of molecular cues that are important for the development of topographic maps is the Eph family of receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands, the ephrins. The Feldheim lab studies the role of these genes in each of the visual projections in the mouse. We use a combination of expression analysis, in vitro assays, viral introduction of genes into living mouse brains, and gene-knock out experiments to elucidate their requirement for map formation.

David Feldheim 225 Sinsheimer Laboratories University of California Santa Cruz, CA 95064 phone 831.459.3806 fax 831.459.3139 feldheim@biology.ucsc.edu