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Robert Cornell Ph.D.
robert-cornell
 uiowa eduAssistant Professor of Anatomy & Cell Biology
he neural crest, a transient population of multi-potent precursor cells exclusively found in vertebrate embryos, gives rise to neurons, glia, and melanocytes, among other cell types. The neural crest is thus an attractive model in which to explore universal cellular developmental events like fate specification, migration, survival, and differentiation. Moreover, when these events go wrong in neural crest there can be dire consequences for the individual, including cleft lip and palate, neuroblastoma, neurofibromotosis, and melanoma. We strive to identify the gene products that regulate developmental decisions within the neural crest. Better knowledge of these genes will improve the ability of clinicians to predict the likelihood of an individual to succumb to such diseases. Moreover, developmental regulatory genes represent potential therapeutic entry points for a wide range of diseases. We use forward and reverse genetics methods in zebrafish towards this end. http://www.anatomy.uiowa.edu/pages/directory/faculty/cornell.asp Selected Publications
Cornell, R. A., Yemm, E., Li , W. , D'Alencon, C., Wegman, L., Eisen, J. S., Zahs, A. (2004) Touchtone promotes survival of embryonic melanophores in zebrafish. Mechanisms of Development, 121(11): 1365-76. O'Brien, E., d'Alencon, C., Schoenebeck, J., Murray, J., Allende, M., Gelb, B., Yelon, D., Eisen, J. S., and Cornell, R. A. (2004) Transcription factor Ap-2a is necessary for development of embryonic melanophores, autonomic neurons, and pharyngeal skeleton in zebrafish. Developmental Biology, 265: 246-261. Lee, L., Seftor, E. A., Bonde, G., Cornell, R. A., Hendrix M. J.C. (2005), The fate of human malignant melanoma cells transplanted into zebrafish embryos: Assessment of migration and cell division in the absence of tumor formation. Developmental Dynamics. 233:1560-70. Elizondo , M. R., Arduini, B. L., Paulsen, J., Sabel, J. L., MacDonald, E. L., Henion, P. D.*, Cornell, R. A.*, Parichy, D. M.* (2005) Accelerated endochondral ossification and delayed intramembraneous ossification in dwarf zebrafish with mutations in trpm7. Current Biology, 15: 667-671. *, corresponding authors. McNeill, M., Bonde, G., and Cornell, R. A. (2006). Melanophore cell death in zebrafish transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (trpm7) mutant embryos depends on melanin synthesis. (submitted). Li, W., and Cornell, R. A. (2006) Redundant activities of Tfap2a and Tfap2c are required for neural crest induction and development of other non-neural ectoderm derivatives in zebrafish embryos. (submitted) |
