Scripps Research Joint Appointments

Faculty, Kellogg School of Science and Technology

Research Focus

The Grill lab studies candidate intracellular coordinators of neuronal development. By unraveling the mechanisms by which these molecules function, we will gain insight into how neurons integrate and manage numerous signals from their environment to form a neural network. We also hope to identify key molecular functions that can be stimulated to trigger new synapse and axonal growth. Such knowledge has tremendous potential to aid in generating new therapies to treat neurodegenerative diseases, and injury to the central nervous system from stroke.

Education

Ph.D., Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2003
B.Sc., Microbiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada, 1998

Awards & Professional Activities

Post-doctoral Fellowship CIHR , 2004
Post graduate scholarship Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), 2000
Post graduate scholarship National Science and Engineering
Research Council (NSERC), 1998
Dean’s Silver Medal in Science, University of Alberta, 1998

Selected References

Grill B, Chen L, Tulgren ED, Baker ST, Bienvenut W, Anderson M, Quadroni M, Jin Y, and Garner CC (2012). RAE-1, a novel PHR binding protein, is required for axon termination and synapse formation in C. elegans. Journal of Neuroscience 32:2628-2636. 

Tulgren ED, Baker ST, Rapp L, Gurney AM, Grill B (2011). PPM-1, a PP2C alpha/beta phosphatase, Regulates Axon Termination and Synapse Formation in Caenohabditis elegans. Genetics 189:1297-1307.

Margeta MA, Shen K, Grill B (2008). Building a synapse: Lessons on synapse specificity and presynaptic assembly from the nematode C. elegans. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 18:69-76. 

Abrams B, Grill B, Huang X, Jin Y (2008). Cellular and molecular determinants targeting the Caenorhabditis elegans PHR protein RPM-1 to perisynaptic regions. Developmental Dynamics 237:630-639.

Grill B, Bienvenut WV, Brown HM, Ackley BD, Quadroni M, Jin Y (2007). C. elegans RPM-1 regulates axon termination and synaptogenesis through the Rab GEF GLO-4 and the Rab GTPase GLO-1. Neuron 55:587-601.

Dai Y, Taru H, Deken SL, Grill B, Ackley B, Nonet ML, Jin Y (2006). SYD-2 Liprin-alpha organizes presynaptic active zone formation through ELKS. Nature Neuroscience 9:1479-1487. 

Nakata K, Abrams B, Grill B, Goncharov A, Huang X, Chisholm AD, Jin Y (2005). Regulation of a DLK-1 and p38 MAP kinase pathway by the ubiquitin ligase RPM-1 is required for presynaptic development. Cell 120:407-420. 

Links

Department of Neuroscience