CALS projectJanuary 2008 - December 2009
Production of movements by the brain and spinal cord
summary
We are attempting to understand how the brain and spinal cord produce movements.
issue
Neurological diseases as well as spinal cord injury affect the ability of people to move properly. We need to understand how normal movements are produced by the brain and spinal cord so that we can restore function after injury or disease.
response
We have been studying the wiring of circuits in the spinal cord and have identified classes of nerve cells that are critical for producing properly coordinated movements. We did this by using an animal model (zebrafish) in which we can image the structure and function of nerve cells in the intact animal.
impact
By understanding how normal movements are produced, we can better develop strategies to repair the nervous system after damage, such as after spinal injury or as a consequence of diseases that affect movements.
funding type
Unspecified
federal funding
National Institutes of Health
researchers involved
- Fetcho, Joseph
organizations involved
Institute for Physiological Sciences
University of Chicago
academic priority area
New Life Sciences
contribution area
Research
domestic geographic focus
New York
Tompkins
USDA topic area
Improve Nutrition and Health
timeframe
January 2008 - December 2009