The Ozdinler Lab generated a novel reporter line in which both the sensory and the motor neurons are genetically labeled with a fluorescent green protein, allowing visualization and precise cellular analyses for motor and sensory systems simultaneously. The lab previously published this characterization of motor neuron component in the Journal of Neuroscience and is now reporting the sensory component in PLOS One. This recent publication is a collaborative work with Drs. Richard Miller and Amy Paller.
Dr. Ozdinler is organizing a Symposium at the Society for Neuroscience (SFN) about the importance of upper motor neurons for motor neuron diseases. This will be the first symposium about upper motor neurons at SFN.
The Ozdinler Lab will be presenting four abstracts at the American Neurological Association meeting, one abstract at the International Brain Research Organization meeting, six abstracts at Society for Neuroscience and two abstracts at the ALS/MND meeting this year. These abstracts represent both work currently in progress as well as unpublished findings.
As a result of the great work coming from the lab, it is becoming a hub for great, young minds. Dr. Ozdinler accepted four undergraduate students this summer; Carolyn Brooks, Eric Kim, Santana Sanchez and Daniel Heller, who all received summer research grants. Previous students received acceptance and will continue to do ALS related research. These include: William Weber, Northwestern University Medical School; Macdonnell Stanford, Georgetown University Medical School; Zhi-Ning Choo, MIT, Biology; Ted Li, Stanford University, Engineering; Robert Hess, Rush Medical School; Maura Slattery, UI at Urbana Champaign.
