Cortical Development and Axon Guidance Laboratory


Associate Professor Linda J. Richards, PhD

Cortical Development and Axon Guidance Laboratory

Short biography
Description of research area
Current collaborators
Research students and their research topics
Techniques used in the laboratory
Recent publications
Recent reviews
Contact details

Short biography

Dr Richards did her undergraduate degree at Monash University and obtained her BSc (Hons) and a PhD from The University of Melbourne and The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in the laboratory of Prof. Perry Bartlett. Her thesis was on the determination of neuronal lineage in the developing spinal cord. She then moved to the USA to complete a postdoctoral fellowship at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies where she worked with Prof. Dennis O’Leary on cortical development and formation of the lateral cortical projection through the internal capsule. She began her independent laboratory at The University of Maryland Medical School in 1997, where she remained until 2005 when she was appointed as an Associate Professor at The University of Queensland.

Description of research area [top]

Dr Richards' laboratory investigates how the brain becomes wired up during development. The lab is focusing on the development of the cerebral cortex, a region of the brain where all higher order cognition is processed. The lab investigates the development of the largest fibre tract in the brain, called the corpus callosum, that connects neurons in the left and right cerebral hemispheres. Dr Richards' lab is interested in the development of the cortical midline and aspects of glial and neuronal development that impact the formation of midline structures such as the corpus callosum. The lab utilises both mouse and human tissue in its projects and applies the results to identifying the basis of agenesis of the corpus callosum which occurs in more than 50 different human congenital syndromes.

** Join our team - Exciting laboratory projects available for PhD, BSc(Hons) and undergraduate students.

Current collaborators include  [top]
  • Prof. John Parnavelas, University College, London
  • Prof. Rich Gronostajski, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA.
  • Assoc. Prof. Geoffrey Goodhill, The University of Queensland
  • Assoc. Prof. Elliott Sherr, University of California, San Francisco


Research students and their research topics [top]

1) Amber-Lee Donahoo (PhD student) – "Molecular mechanisms regulating the development of the corpus callosum".

2) Divya Unni (PhD student) – "The role of Slit and ROBO proteins in development of the corpus callosum".

3) Sharon Mason (PhD student) – "The role of NFi in cortical development".

4) Ilan Gobius (PhD student) – "The role of commissural plate glia, Slit and FGF protein family members in forebrain commissure formation".

5) Samantha Liu (PhD student) – "Targeting of callosal axons in the contralateral hemisphere".

6) Janette Thurley (PhD student) – "Formation and migration of the subcallosal sling".

7) Sean Coakley (BSc Honours student) – "Development of the cortical preplate".
 

Techniques used in the laboratory  [top]

  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging – diffusion tensor imaging.

  • In utero surgery, in utero electroporation of genetic constructs to label cells, over-express genes, or knock-down protein expression by siRNA.

  • Tissue culture and in vitro primary cultures, including organotypic slice culture.

  • Neuroanatomical and Histological approaches including tract tracing, immunohistochemistry, cryostat, vibratome, freezing microtome and electron and confocal microscopy

  • Molecular Biological approaches including protein purification, PCR, Northern, and Western Blotting and in situ hybridisation

Recent publications  [top]

Huang H., Xue R., Zhang J., Ren T., Richards L.J., Yarowsky P., Miller, M., Mori S. (2009) Anatomical Characterization of Human Fetal Brain Development with Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Journal of Neuroscience (in press;  accepted 5 March 2009).

M. Piper, C. Plachez, O. Zalucki, T. Fothergill, R. Erzurumlu, C. Gu, L.J. Richards (2009) Neuropilin1 regulates crossing of cingulate pioneering axons during development of the corpus callosum. Cerebral Cortex (in press; accepted 20 Jan 2009)

A. Kumbasar, C. Plachez, R.M. Gronostajski, L.J. Richards, E.D Litwack (2009) Absence of the transcription factor Nfib delays the formation of the basilar pontine and other mossy fiber nuclei. Journal of Comparative Neurology 513: 98-112.

G. Barry, M. Piper, C. Lindwall, R. Moldrich, S. Mason, E. Little, A. Sarkar, S. Tole, R. M. Gronostajski, L.J. Richards (2008) Specific glial populations regulate hippocampal morphogenesis. Journal of Neuroscience 28: 12328-12340.

C.E. Campbell, M. Piper, C. Plachez, Y.T. Yeh, J.S. Baizer, J.M. Osinski, E.D. Litwack, L.J. Richards, R.M. Gronostajski  (2008) The transcription factor Nfix is essential for normal brain development. BMC Developmental Biology 8: 52.

C. Plachez, W. Andrews, A. Liapi, B. Knoell, U. Dreacher, B. Mankoo, L. Zhe, E. Mambetisaeva, A. Annan, L. Bannister, J.G. Parnavelas, L.J. Richards, V. Sundaresan (2008) Robos are required for the correct targeting of retinal ganglion cell axons in the visual pathway of the brain. Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience 37: 719-730.

C. Plachez, C. Lindwall, N. Sunn, M. Piper, R.X. Moldrich, C.E. Campbell, J.M. Osinski, R.M. Gronostajski, L.J. Richards (2008) Nuclear factor one gene expression in the developing forebrain. Journal of Comparative Neurology 508: 385-401.

M. Piper, A.L.S. Dawson, C, Lindwall, G. Barry, C. Plachez, L.J. Richards (2007) Emx and Nfi genes regulate cortical development and axon guidance in the telencephalon Novartis Foundation Symposium (Cortical Development: Genes and Genetic Abnormalities) 288: 230-242.

T.Ren, J. Zhang, C. Plachez, S. Mori, L.J. Richards (2007) Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging and tract-tracing analysis of Probst bundle structure in Netrin-1 and DCC-deficient mice. Journal of Neuroscience 27:10345-10349

J. Zhang J., L.J. Richards, M.I. Miller, P. Yarowsky, P. van Zijl, S. Mori (2006) Characterization of mouse brain and its development using diffusion tensor imaging and computational techniques.  Conference Proceedings: IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society 1: 2252-2255. (Refereed conference paper).

H. Huang, J. Zhang, S. Wakana, W. Zhang, T. Ren, L.J. Richards, P. Yarowsky, P. Donohue, E. Graham, P. van Zijl, S. Mori (2006) White and gray matter development in human fetal, newborn and pediatric brains.  Neuroimage 33: 27-38.

W.Andrews, A. Liapi, C. Plachez, L. Camurri, J. Zhang, S. Mori, F.Murakami, J.G. Parnavelas, V.Sundaresan, L.J. Richards  (2006) Robo1 regulates the development of major axon tracts and interneuron migration in the forebrain. Development 133: 2243-2252.

T. Ren, A. Anderson, W-B. Shen, H. Huang, C. Plachez, J. Zhang, S. Mori, S.L. Kinsman, L.J. Richards  (2006) Imaging, anatomical and molecular analysis of callosal formation in the developing human fetal brain.  Anatomical Record A 288:191-214. (Special Edition on Neural Development).

W-B. Shen, C. Plachez, A.S. Mongi, L.J. Richards (2006) Identification of candidate genes at the cortcioseptal boundary during development. Mechanics of Development, Gene Expression Patterns 6: 471-481.

J. Zhang, M.I. Miller, C. Plachez, L.J. Richards, P. Yarowksy, P. van Zijl, S. Mori (2005) Mapping postnatal mouse brain development with diffusion tensor microimaging. NeuroImage 26: 1042-1051. 

J. Zhang, Y. Chen, M.I. Miller, C. Plachez, J.M. Hardwick, L.J. Richards, P. Yarowksy, P. van Zijl, S. Mori (2005) Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor microimaging reveals a role for Bcl-x in brain development and homeostasis.  Journal of Neuroscience 25: 1881-1888.

G. Steele-Perkins, C. Plachez, K.G. Butz, G. Yang, C.J. Bachurski, S.L. Kinsman, E.D. Litwack, L.J. Richards, R.M. Gronostajski (2005) The transcription factor Nfib is essential for both lung maturation and brain development.  Molecular and Cellular Biology 25: 685-698

W.J. Rosoff, J.S. Urbach, M.A. Esrick, R.G. McAllister, L.J. Richards, G.J. Goodhill (2004) A novel chemotaxis assay reveals the extreme sensitivity of axons to molecular gradients.  Nature Neuroscience 7: 678-682.  This article was featured as a “News and Views” article in the same issue and was recommended by members of the Faculty of 1000.
 

Recent reviews [top]

McGrath JJ, Richards LJ (2009). Why schizophrenia epidemiology needs neurobiology – and vice versa. Schizophrenia Bulletin doi: 10.1093/schbul/sbp004: 1-5.

S. Mason, M. Piper, R.M. Gronostajski, L.J. Richards (2009) Nuclear factor one transcription factors in CNS development. Molecular Neurobiology 39: 10-23.

D. Mortimer, T. Fothergill, Z. Pujic, L.J. Richards, G.J. Goodhill (2008) Growth cone chemotaxis. Trends in Neurosciences 31: 90-98.

C. Lindwall, T. Fothergilll, L.J. Richards (2007) Commissure formation in the mammalian forebrain. Current Opinion in Neurobiology 17: 3-14.

L.K. Paul, W.S. Brown, R. Adolphs, J.M. Tyszka, L.J.Richards, P. Mukherjee, and E.H. Sherr (2007) Agenesis of the corpus callosum: genetic, developmental and functional aspects of connectivity. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 8: 287-299.

C. Plachez, L.J. Richards (2005) Mechanisms of axon guidance in the developing nervous system. Current Topics in Developmental Biology 69: 267-346.

L.J. Richards, C. Plachez, T. Ren (2004) Mechanisms regulating the development of the corpus callosum and its agenesis in mouse and human. Clinical Genetics 66: 276-289.

L.J. Richards (2002). Surrounded by Slit – How forebrain axons can be led astray. Neuron 33: 153-158.

L.J. Richards (2002). Axonal pathfinding mechanisms at the cortical midline and in the development of the corpus callosum. Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. 35: 1431-1439.


Contact details [top]

Lab Head:  Associate Professor Linda Richards
Contact: richards@uq.edu.au
Tel: (+61-7) 3365 2661

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