Nathaniel Heintz, Ph.D.

Research

Our research is aimed at the identification of molecular mechanisms that control development and dysfunction of the mammalian cerebellum. We have chosen to study the cerebellum because it is a complex and highly stereotyped structure in which major pattern formation and functional organization occur postnatally. During the past several years, we have completed a comprehensive screen to identify cDNAs that are precisely regulated during the specification and differentiation of particular cerebellar neurons and glia. A second approach toward understanding molecular events that are crucial in cerebellar formation and function is provided by the analysis of neurologic mutant mouse strains in which specific cerebellar neurons degenerate as a consequence of the disease. We have utilized both of these avenues to begin to dissect complex developmental pathways that play a role in development of the brain. Our main areas of interest are 1) Granule Cell Specification in the Developing Brain 2) Neural Differentiation in the Developing Cerebellum 3) Cerebellar Dysfunction and 4) Control of Gene Expression during the Cell Cycle,