John R. Henley

The long-term research goals of John R. Henley, Ph.D., are to determine how cues in the microenvironment guide neural cell migration processes, the role of dysfunctional guidance mechanisms in disease and how to control chemotactic migration for therapeutic purposes. Dr. Henley's lab utilizes cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology and behavioral research. These approaches help to define the individual spatiotemporal signal transduction mechanisms by which the nerve growth cone at the tip of elongating axons detects extracellular guidance cues and dynamically regulates cellular effectors to control the direction of axon extension.