Welcome
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The Stenkamp lab is interested in the cellular and molecular mechanisms of vertebrate retinal development and regeneration, with specific focus on the differentiation and aging of photoreceptors and ganglion cells. Zebrafish are the primary experimental models used in the lab, since they develop rapidly, have multiple photoreceptor subtypes that can be easily identified, continue to grow new retinal tissue throughout life and can be manipulated genetically. The labs major area of investigation currently is the involvement of specific factors such as the signaling protein, sonic hedgehog and the Vitamin A derivative, retinoic acid, in regulating the differentiation of rod and cone photoreceptors. The aim is to better define the sources of these factors in the developing retina and determine their effects on photoreceptors and other retinal cells by using gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches, including the examination of specific zebrafish mutants and the creation of transgenic zebrafish with inducible genes. This project receives funding from the National Eye Institute.
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Two other projects in the lab are receiving support from two foundations: The Glaucoma Foundation, for the study of ganglion cell regeneration in zebrafish; and The American Health Assistance Foundation, for the pursuit of a zebrafish model for age-related macular degeneration. These are both exciting new directions for the laboratory as they apply knowledge of factors involved in development of retinal cells to the analysis and treatment of human visual disorders.
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The laboratory also participates in an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates program emphasizing computational neuroscience. This program is highly interdisciplinary, involving faculty from Biological Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. In summer 2004, 16 undergraduates from around the Northwest participated in the program. Dr. Stenkamp is on the Editorial Review Board for Molecular Vision, www.molvis.org/molvis, a peer-reviewed and award-winning online journal of vision research.
