Anton Lab

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Eva Anton, PhD, Associate Professor
UNC Neuroscience Center
Neuroscience Research Building
115 Mason Farm Rd., CB# 7250
UNC School of Medicine
Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Statement:

Laminar organization of neurons in cerebral cortex is critical for normal brain function. Two distinct cellular events guarantee the emergence of laminar organization-- coordinated sequence of neuronal migration, and generation of radial glial cells that supports neurogenesis and neuronal migration. Our goal is to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal migration and layer formation in the mammalian cerebral cortex. Towards this goal, we are studying the following three related questions: 

1. What are the signals that regulate the establishment, development and differentiation of radial glial cells, a key substrate for neuronal migration in cerebral cortex? 
2. What are the signals for neuronal migration that determine how neurons reach their appropriate positions in the developing cerebral cortex?
3. What are the specific cell- cell adhesion related mechanisms that determine how neurons migrate and coalesce into distinct layers in the developing cerebral cortex?