Cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating neuronal differentiation in embryos and adults

Professor Storey is interested in the regulation of neuronal differentiation. She has recently discovered a novel form of cell subdivision, which involves local actin-myosin-mediated abscission of the apical cell membrane in cells poised to undergo neuronal differentiation in chick and mouse embryos. This process also involves the separation of apically positioned centrosome and cilium, and underlies the abrupt loss of apico-basal polarity and cell signalling at the onset of neuronal differentiation. Professor Storey plans to investigate how apical abscission is controlled, how centrosome and cilium separation is regulated and how these processes impacts upon cell signalling. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of neuronal differentiation and how these can be manipulated will inform strategies for treatment of neuronal injury and disease.