Clifton Ragsdale, Ph.D.

Molecular Genetic Control of Brain Development and Differentiation

Research Summary

The Ragsdale laboratory studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control the proliferation, migration and differentiation of embryonic brain cells.  A major related project in the laboratory is a collaboration with Prof. Luping Yu of the Department of Chemistry to develop polymers for in vivo gene delivery.  These new polymer systems have the promise of generating new information about transfection cell biology and yielding novel vectors for gene delivery in experimental animals and in human therapeutics. 

Selected Papers

Gan, L., Olson, J.L., Ragsdale, C.W. and Yu, L. (2008) Poly(beta-aminosulfonamides) as gene delivery vectors: synthesis and in vitro screening. Chem. Commun. 2008, 573-575.

Domowicz, M.S., Sanders, T., Ragsdale, C.W. and Schwartz, N.B. (2008) Aggrecan is expressed by embryonic brain glia and regulates astrocyte development. Dev. Biol. 315, 114-124.

Hasan, K.B., Agarwala, S., and Ragsdale, C.W. (2010) PHOX2A regulation of oculomotor complex nucleogenesis. Development 137, 1205-1213.