Christopher Gabel

Research in our laboratory is focused around a common theme to understand how neuronal activity and cellular calcium signaling modulates neuronal response and regeneration following cellular damage. Employing the nematode worm C. elegans as a simple yet powerful model system, we pursue in vivo studies at both the single neuron and small circuit levels. Through our work and that of others, C. elegans has recently emerged as a powerful system for the study of neuronal damage and regeneration, following a long tradition of seminal findings in C. elegans with direct translation to mammalian systems. For our specific purposes its simple, completely mapped nervous system, small transparent body and amenable genetics make C. elegans an ideal test bed for novel biophotonic techniques and applications. The results are exciting, technologically driven breakthroughs that are pushing current understanding in regenerative neurobiology and small circuit function. As such, our laboratory is truly cross-disciplinary with engineers and biophysicists working side-by-side with traditional biologist. The technical expertise and ongoing research projects in the laboratory are as follows.