Christine E. Holt, Ph.D.

Research

My laboratory studies how nerve connections are made in the brain. Our studies focus on the developing visual system and the main goal of our research is to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that guide axons from the eye to their synaptic targets a long distance away in the midbrain. We use a multidisciplinary experimental approach that involves in vivo gene transfer, growth cone turning assays and time-lapse imaging of live axons in the brain. By studying the mechanisms that guide axon growth in the embryo we aim to understand how nerve connections are first established in the brain. Basic knowledge of this sort will be essential for developing clinical therapies in nerve repair.