Studies of cell death and regeneration after CNS injury, emphasizing the cellular events that determine which cells die, and whether new cells and regenerating axons can contribute to repair. This work focuses on basic mechanisms mediating neural growth and programmed cell death in the Xenopus laevis brain and spinal cord in vitro and in vivo . These various projects represent studies of different but related aspects of neural development, plasticity, degeneration, and repair. A long term goal of the Beattie and Bresnahan laboratories is to contribute knowledge that may be useful in establishing better treatments for neurological disorders, especially spinal cord injury. Our laboratories use a variety of techniques to study plasticity and recovery of function, and collaborations with several other laboratories offer additional training opportunities.
Collaborative projects use in situ hybridization and other molecular techniques.
Beattie MS, Bresnahan JC, Koman J, Tovar CA, Anderson DK, et al . Apoptosis and spinal cord injury.