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Scripps Research Joint Appointments

Professor, Dorris Neuroscience Center
Faculty, Kellogg School of Science and Technology

Research Focus

The cerebral cortex is the structure in our brain that underlies most of our cognitive abilities such as speaking, reading, abstract thinking. The developmental mechanisms underlying the establishment of neuronal connectivity in the cortex are still poorly understood. Our lab studies the molecular mechanisms underlying fundamental processes such as neuronal migration as well as axon and dendrite formation. We recently identified one of the first gene required for axon formation in vivo, the tumor-supressor LKB1, also called Par4. We also study the function of newly identified families of proteins regulating membrane deformation (F-BAR domain-containing proteins) in neuronal differentiation. In the future, we would like to pursue large scale genetic screens aimed at identifying novel key regulators of neuronal differentiation during brain development. We combine biochemistry, molecular biology and transgenic mouse technologies with time-lapse confocal microscopy in order to study neuronal differentiation in vivo.

Education

Ph.D., Biology, Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
B.S., Biology, Claude Bernard University, 1991

Professional Experience

Cold Spring Harbor Labs, 2001, Cloning of Neural Genes
Johns Hopkins Univ., 1997-2000, Neuroscience, Postdoc

Awards & Professional Activities

1993-1997 - Graduate Training Award from the French Ministry of Research and Technology
1999 - Albert Lehninger Research Prize for Post-doctoral Res., Johns Hopkins Univ.
2000-2001 - INSERM-CFB award for a European collaborative project with the group of Dr. Vanderhaeghen, University of Brussels, Belgium.
2004-2007 - March of Dimes Birth Defect Foundation Award
2005-2009 - Pew Scholar Award in Biomedical Sciences
2005-2007 - NARSAD Young Investigator Award
2007-2009 - NARSAD Young Investigator Award
2009-present - Member of Faculty 1000 – Developmental Neurobiology Section.
2010 - Co-Chair of Gordon Conference Neural Development - Salve Regina, RI.
2012 - Chair of Gordon Conference Neural Development - Salve Regina, RI.

Selected References

Yi, J., Barnes A.P., Hand R, Polleux F. and Ehlers M.D. (2010) TGFβ Signaling Specifies Axons During Brain Development. Cell 142:144-157 

Bortone D. and Polleux F. (2009) KCC2 expression promotes the termination of cortical interneuron migration in a voltage-sensitive calcium-dependent manner. Neuron 62:53-71.

Guerrier S., Coutinho-Budd J., Sassa T., Vincent-Jordan N., Frost A., and Polleux F. (2009) The F-BAR domain of srGAP2 induces membrane protrusions required for neuronal migration and morphogenesis. Cell 138:990-1004.

Barnes A.P., Lilley B., Pan, A. Plummer L, Powell A., Raines, A, Sanes J.R., Polleux F. (2007) LKB1 and SAD kinases define a pathway required for the polarization of cortical neurons. Cell 129 :549-563.

Polleux F., Morrow T. and Ghosh A. (2000) Semaphorin 3A is a chemoattractant for cortical apical dendrites. Nature 404:567-573.