Ikeda Lab

Note: All phone numbers are in area code 608 unless otherwise specified. Back to Search

Our research program is divided into two broad areas aimed at understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate (1) synaptic interactions between neurons and (2) control of cell proliferation. Both processes involve fundamental biological questions that remain to be solved and both have important connections with human disease. The experimental system for most of our studies is the mouse eye, which offers a number of advantages: The eye is not a vital organ so mutations affecting the processes of interest can be identified and studied throughout the entire span of development. The well-organized structure and easy accessibility of the eye facilitate experimental analyses. At the same time, because the cells present in the eye (e. g. epithelial cells, neurons) are representative of cell types present in other organs, information gained from studies on the eye can reveal cellular mechanisms of general significance.