Development, Regeneration and Neurophysiology
Our research
We examine how a single cell can give rise to an entire organism, knowledge that helps us understand health and ageing, which is fundamental to the development of new medicines. We apply our knowledge to direct the differentiation of cells for regenerative medicine and disease-modelling applications, with a particular focus on the nervous system. We also investigate the mechanisms underpinning how sensory inputs are detected and processed by the nervous system in health and disease, with the aim to identify targets for gene-based therapeutic interventions.
91Ö±²¥ has a long tradition in the study of developmental biology, neuroscience, stem cells, and regenerative medicine, with an international reputation in these fields. An important societal aim is to understand why some people live long and healthy lives, while others may suffer from chronic illness or degenerative conditions. Linked to this is the need to improve therapies for individuals with long-term debilitating conditions. Our research provides an exciting route towards achieving these goals.
Our developmental biologists study the fundamental genetic and cellular mechanisms that drive tissue and organ formation in the developing embryo. We work on a range of model organisms, including the fruit fly, zebrafish and chick. Using approaches in single cell biology, real-time imaging and mathematical modelling, we are uncovering the programmes that support embryonic patterning and morphogenesis, together with lifelong tissue homeostasis, prerequisites to a healthy adult life.
Our stem cell and regenerative medicine researchers study genetic stability and the cell fate decisions made by stem cells, harnessing this knowledge to generate cell types that could be used for cell-based regenerative medicine therapies for a range of disease conditions. Sophisticated transgenic approaches in model organisms, together with the use of stem-cell-derived human organoids, provide powerful routes to novel drug discovery.
Our internationally recognised strengths in neurophysiology extend from development of the nervous system and neuronal cell biology through to sensory neurophysiology and computational modelling. We have a special focus on the auditory, vestibular, visual and olfactory systems, bringing together internationally leading experts in physiology, stem cell biology, bioinformatics and genetics. We also seek to understand both the sensing and alleviation of chronic pain, and to develop effective model systems for complex behavioural disorders such as stress and anxiety.
Our success is founded on excellent research income, state-of-the-art facilities, and interdisciplinary collaborations with academic and industrial partners in local, national and international Centres of Excellence.
Research highlights
Recent grant awards
Congratulations to:
- Matt Towers for being awarded a BBSRC responsive mode grant entitled "How is positional information encoded in development?' (£893K over 3 years).
- Henry Roehl for being awarded a BBSRC responsive mode grant entitled Linking developmental cell types with their regenerative counterparts.' (£503K).
- Mikko Juusola for being awarded a 3-year collaborative Leverhulme grant: "Synaptic morphodynamics (SMD): information processing by mechanical movement"-PI: Mikko Juusola (91Ö±²¥) and PI: Paul Verkade (Bristol); £500k (£250k to 91Ö±²¥ & £250k to Bristol)
- Marysia Placzek who was awarded a Wellcome Trust Discovery Award (£1.5 million) to study "Epithelial to mesenchymal plasticity in the ventral forebrain".
People
For further information and research opportunities, please see the staff page of individual researchers below:
- Professor Peter Andrews
- Dr Ivana Barbaric
- Dr Anne-Gaelle Borycki
- Dr Jennifer Burr
- Dr Daniela Cacciabue
- Dr Kyra Campbell
- Dr Laura Corns
- Dr Vincent Cunliffe
- Professor Andrew Furley
- Dr Paul Gokhale
- Professor David Grundy
- Dr Stuart Johnson
- Professor Mikko Juusola
- Dr Andrew Lin
- Professor Walter Marcotti
- Dr Mirna Mustapha
- Dr Mohammed Nassar
- Dr Anton Nikolaev
- Dr Emily Noel
- Professor Marysia Placzek
- Professor Marcelo Rivolta
- Professor Louise Robson
- Dr Henry Roehl
- Dr Matthew Towers
- Dr Anestis Tsakiridis
- Dr Freek van Eeden
- Professor Tanya Whitfield
- Dr Martin Zeidler
- Dr Adam Carlton
Research centres of excellent
Our research in development, regeneration and neurophysiology is supported by and feeds into the following Centres of excellence.
- Healthy Lifespan Institute
- Neuroscience Institute
- Bateson Centre
- Centre for Stem Cell Biology
- Hearing Research Group