Jiangnan Luo
Post-Doctoral Fellow
(202)-760-0932
Education
2014. Stockholm University. PhD.
Interests
How developing neurons adapt their gene expression pattern to acquire diverse and yet stereotyped morphologies remains a largely unsolved question. After cell fate specification by early genetic cascades, each neuron undergoes a series of major differentiation events including outgrowth and refinement of neurites, specification of neuronal identities such as neurotransmitter and neuropeptide, and finally synaptogenesis. Each of these differentiating steps is both context- and stage-dependent, requiring not only hard-wired genetic programs but also precise spatiotemporal cues from the surrounding environment. To obtain the stereotyped morphology of a nervous system, developing neurons must swiftly respond to the constantly variable environment with intricate gene expression programing, which continuously drives the morphological and functional changes in well-ordered sequence. My study at NYU will focus on identifying these dynamic patterns of global gene expression during neuronal development, and try to elucidate their functional relevance to specific behaviors of developing neurons. I will use medulla neurons in the Drosophila optic lobe as the model to tackle these problems.