Glia in the nervous system
Glia are the most abundant cells in the vertebrate brain, yet far less is understood about them than about neurons — partly because removing glia in most animals kills the neurons they support. In C. elegans, glia are not required for neuronal survival, so we can remove or alter them and watch the consequences directly.
We found that glia shape and prune the sensory endings of neurons, monitor neurons for damage and respond protectively, help build the nerve ring (brain), and control behaviors from sleep to repetitive movement.
Programmed cell death
Building a nervous system means removing specific cells at specific times. We study how a cell’s decision to die is made, timed, and carried out — we defined a non-apoptotic death program, termed linker cell death (LCD), whose features also appear in the developing vertebrate nervous system. We also discovered a novel mode for dismantling morphologically complex cells, such as neurons.
Recent papers
Life in (and out of) the Lab
Our lab is home to scientists united by a shared interest in rigorous, collaborative science, mentorship, and a supportive environment.
Shai Shaham
Richard E. Salomon Family Professor and head of the Laboratory of Developmental Genetics. PhD, MIT; postdoctoral training at UCSF; at Rockefeller since 2001. Meet the lab →
Inquiries
Prospective postdocs, graduate students, and research assistants interested in glia, neuronal development, or cell death are welcome to write to Shai at shaham@rockefeller.edu.