I study central nervous system (CNS) development and repair, with a focus on understanding the wiring rules of the embryonic and adult brain. During my PhD at Charité in Berlin, I investigated neuroimmune interactions, specifically examining the roles of Clostridium botulinum protein, various pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, neurotrophins, and immune cells in neuronal development and regeneration. Subsequently, supported by a research grant and a partnership with SANOFI, I joined the Vision Institute in Paris, where I became interested in the role of glial cells and axonal guidance molecules in the context of CNS damage. I later moved to Weill Cornell Medicine, where I studied the MAP2K pathway using both genetic approaches and non-invasive high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This work was supported by a Path to Independence Grant from the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. At Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, I then focused on neuronal migration and synaptogenesis in the developing mouse brain, with particular attention to small Rho GTPases.
Currently at The Saban Research Institute at CHLA, Keck School of Medicine of USC, I lead the Functional Repair and Axonogenesis Lab (FRAlab), where we study growth pathways and guidance molecules in the CNS, both during development and in response to injury in the adult. Our goal is to uncover mechanisms that can significantly advance treatment strategies for CNS injuries and other neurological disorders.