Contact Information

mrutlin1@jhmi.edu


Lab Contribution

Research Interests:
1) Investigating the requirement of Sonic Hedgehog for progenitor cell maintenance in telencephalic stem cell niches.
2) Elucidating the mechanisms by which Notch 1 promotes FGF-responsive neural stem cell identity in the telencephalon.
Even though these topics cover a broad range, the work above suggests that specific links exist between the mechanisms that control growth and regional patterning in the developing nervous system. Two fundamental issues were addressed in these studies. First, Sonic Hedgehog, a factor that has long been proposed to act as a morphogen, also appears to play a dual role in controlling proper cellular proliferation and the maintenance of stem cell niches. Conversely, we demonstrate that Notch and FGF signaling pathways cooperate together to maintain a balance of stem cell and postmitotic populations, without overtly effecting regional patterning. The cross talk between signals that control growth and patterning is a fundamental one and one I plan to explore further in graduate school.


Current Work

In the fall of 2003, I entered the neurobiology graduate program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.  I am currently working in the laboratory of Dr. David Ginty.