Milan placed first for the basic science award at the Fourth Annual Lewis Landsberg Research Day with his project titled, Neurogenic potential of the rostral floor plate.

Could you briefly describe your project?
The work presented in my poster focuses on developmental genetics of the midbrain floor plate and one of its key derivatives - dopamine neurons. A motivation for detailing the embryonic development of dopamine neurons is the exciting potential for stem cell-based therapeutics of Parkinson’s disease. Central to understanding the genetic basis of Parkinson’s disease and formulation of effective therapeutics, is a clear grasp of the developmental molecules and processes governing the birth, specification, migration and survival of midbrain dopamine neurons.

In our study, using Sonic hedgehog (Shh) as a driver for lineage analysis, we showed that the midbrain floor plate was neurogenically active producing dopamine neurons, in contrast to the neurogenically inert hindbrain floor plate. Further, a conditional deletion of beta-catenin, a component of canonical Wnt signaling, resulted in diminished dopaminergic neurogenesis while an early removal of Shh remarkably unleashed the latent neurogenic potential of the prospective hindbrain floor plate, resulting in the production of dopamine-like neurons. These studies demonstrated, in vivo, how the dynamic interplay of canonical Wnt signaling and Shh may orchestrate floor plate neurogenesis and a production of dopamine neurons. This work was performed in the laboratory of Dr. Raj Awatramani.

Why did you select FSM?
I chose FSM because of a high quality research at this institution. In addition, I wanted to continue working on cell fate specification during development of the central nervous system that I initially started at Iowa State University working on Hox genes. So, despite other offers, I decided to join Dr. Raj Awatramani’s laboratory in spring 2006.  

How would you describe the faculty at FSM?
The faculty at FSM is outstanding that is consistent with, again, a high quality research at this institution including excellent scientific communication and interaction among the FSM scientists.

What are you plans for the future?
As expected for postdoc future plans, I would like eventually to start either my own lab or a lab together with my wife (a stem cell biologist, currently a postdoc in Martha Bohn’s lab at Children’s Memorial Research Center) to jointly pursue basic/translational science research.