18. GOALS FOR FELLOWSHIP TRAINING AND CAREER I CNamepb(Lealslt, firsGt,omrdidodnle inRitia.Ol) . INSTITUTION MENTOR U. C Berkeley Mass. Inst. Technology Graham C. Walker INSTITUTION/COMPANY University of Washington Mass. Inst. of Technology SUPERVISOR/EMPLOYER Joan Govermard Leroy Hood Graham Walker My goals for the fellowship period are to expand my scientific expertise to the area of vertebrate neurobiology. More specifically, I would like to apply my training in genetics and molecular biology to gain a thorough understanding of neurogenesis, and neurodevelopment in the vertebrate animal. In addition, I would like to use this training period to learn how to perform and analyze data from microarray experiments, and to think about biology at the genomic and systems level. John Ngai's lab has a well-developed capacity to perform these types of experiments, including a group of people with expert knowledge in this area. Following my post-doctoral training, I plan to seek a tenure- track position as a principle investigatior. l_'Rb?]i lg. NAMEAND DEGREE(S) John Ngai, Ph.D. 20. POSmON/RANK Associate Professor of Neurobiolosy 21. RESEARCH INTERESTS/AREAS Molecular mechanisms of o!faction and olfactory development; gene expression during CNS development. ,t_1=rlil_,lim==_o]'a,_-'y,-1 22. DESCRIPTION The olfactory epithelium has a remarkable ability to regenerate. The experiments I propose here outline a method for using microarrays to profile transcription during neurogenesis in the olfactory system after lesion-induced death of the ORNs and their progenitors. The olfactory epithelium is an excellent system in which to study neurogenesis for a number of reasons. Neurogenesis been shown to occur in a well-characterized and reproducible manner following removal of the olfactory bulb or lesions to the olfactory epithelium. It also occurs in a fairly synchronized fashion, with specific genes expressed at different time points through the course of the process. Moreover, this tissue has been extensively characterized, and contains well-defined cell populations that can be readily distinguished using antibodies to cell-type specific markers. These features should allow me to profile neurogenesis at discrete time points over the course of neuronal development from progenitor cells in vivo. Once I have identified a set of potential candidate genes through the statistical methods outlined, I will use RNA in situ hybridization analysis to confirm their expression during neurogenesis, and to localize it to specific olfactory epithelial cell types. My long- term objective is to use the olfactory epithelium as a model to understand neurogenesis. This research may have provide insight into regenerative therapies to treat neural degenerative diseases, and neural injuries. PHS 416-1 (Rev. 12/98) Form Page 2 BB cc Individual NRSA Application Table of Contents ========================================Section End===========================================
