Dr. Ulibarri will use the support provided from the Minority Research Initiation Planning Grant to obtain necessary pilot data to prepare a competitive research proposal. The aim of her research is to understand how gonadal hormones influence the development of a group of sexually dimorphic motoneurons in the spinal cord. These motoneurons provide an excellent model for examining the cellular mechanisms of action of gonadal hormones. Dr. Ulibarri will use state-of-the-art anatomical techniques to initially define the neurogenesis of motoneurons in males and females. These data are important to formulate hypotheses concerning migration and differentiation of these developing neurons. She will then determine how gonadal steroids affect the development of these motoneurons. This research should ultimately lead to new insights about how hormones regulate the production, migration and/or survival of neurons within this sexually dimorphic system and advance our understanding of the cellular events underlying the plasticity of the nervous system.
