Defining signalling pathways that control neurovascular interactions in the brain and retina

The interaction between nerve cells and cells in our blood vessels controls the development of the brain and retina, regulates traffic across the blood-brain and blood-retina barriers, and promotes the formation of new nerve cells. Professor Ruhrberg will explore the mechanisms that regulate these interactions in normal development, with the aim of identifying therapeutic targets for diseases such as age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, in which the nerve cells and blood vessels fail to communicate normally and blood vessels function poorly.