Deborah M. Kurrasch

The Kurrasch Lab studies how hypothalamic neurons become organized into distinct neuronal clusters (“nuclei”). The human brain is exquisitely organized into either distinct layers or defined nuclei. Although layer formation has been well studied, comparatively little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms that guide the movement of neurons into nuclei. We use our unique collection of molecular markers and genetic tools to study how neurons that reside in one nucleus of the hypothalamus – the ventromedial nucleus (VMH) – are born and move to their final position. Presumably, similar mechanisms are used throughout the brain to organize neurons into clusters and thus, we predict that our findings in the VMH will be applicable to other brain regions. The long-term goal of the Kurrasch Lab is to explore whether environmental insults interfere with the developmental steps guiding hypothalamic nuclei formation, as an entry-point towards understanding the etiology of neuroendocrine disorders that are becoming increasingly common within the general population.

To address these questions, we conduct loss-of-function (i.e., morpholino knockdown and Cretechnology) and gain-of-function experiments (i.e., in utero electroporation) using both mice and zebrafish as model systems.

Kristy Gough, Administrative Assistant