Brain Growth and Regeneration Laboratory
Head of Laboratory
Professor Brian Key
Location
Otto Hirschfeld Building, 6th Floor
Staff
Students
Research
How does the vertebrate brain, the most complex tissue in the universe, develop from a simple sheet of cells into an organ with the unique ability of posing this question? We have set ourselves the task of understanding the secrets underlying the development of the brain. Our ability to manipulate and control these molecular and cellular processes will contribute to therapeutic approaches in health and disease of the brain, particularly in neurodevelopmental syndromes such as neural tube defects and Autism.
Recent Publications
- Lah, G. and KEY, B. (2012) Novel roles of the chemorepellent axon guidance molecule RGMa in cell migration and adhesion. Mol. Cell. Biol. 32: 968-980. (IF = 6.2)
- Gaudin, A.C., Hofmeister, W. and KEY, B. (2012) Chemoattractant axon guidance cues regulate de novo axon trajectories in the embryonic forebrain of zebrafish. Dev. Biol. 367: 126-139 (IF = 4.09)
- Hofmeister, W., Devine, C.A., Rothnagel, J.A. and KEY, B. (2012) Frizzled-3a and slit2 genetically interact to modulate midline axon crossing in the telencephalon. Mech. Dev. 129: 109-124 (IF = 2.9)
- Beverdam, A., Claxton, C., Zhang, X., James, G., Harvey, K.F. and KEY, B. (2012) Yap controls stem/progenitor cell proliferation in the mouse postnatal epidermis. J. Invest. Dermat. in press (IF=6.2)
- Windus, LCE, Chehrehasa, F., Lineburg, KE, Claxton, C, Mackay-Sim, A, KEY, B. and St John, JA (2011) Stimulation of olfactory ensheathing cell motility enhances olfactory axon growth. Cell Mol. Life Sci., 68: 3233-47(IF = 7.05)
Student projects
Honours
PhD
In addition to the topics of the Honours projects we require students to investigate the development of axon connections in the most plastic region of the nervous system, the olfactory system.
Research support
NHMRC (2011-2013) KEY Neurodevelopmental role of susceptibility genes for Autism spectrum disorders: from gene to behaviour $466,000
NHMRC (2012-2014) HUNT, KEY, HART and COLLIN The role of potassium channels in photoreceptor function $349,338