Dr. Leanne Godinho

Keywords: retina, development, neurogenesis, remodeling

Research description: We are interested in understanding how the vertebrate nervous system is assembled during development. We exploit the retina, an accessible part of the central nervous system, to probe the mechanisms that underlie the generation of diverse cell-types, their differentiation and finally their integration into synaptic circuits. We use zebrafish, highly visual vertebrates that develop ex utero and are largely translucent during development, to study nervous system development in real time in vivo.

GSN Students: Eleni Petridou, Pui-Shee Lee, Marlly Achury

Selected publications:

Petridou E, Godinho L. Cellular and Molecular Determinants of Retinal Cell Fate. Annu Rev Vis Sci. (2022) 8:79-99. doi: 10.1146/annurev-vision-100820-103154

Engerer P*, Petridou E*, Williams PR, Suzuki SC, Yoshimatsu T, Portugues R, Misgeld T, Godinho L. Notch-mediated re-specification of neuronal identity during central nervous system development. Curr Biol, 31:4870-4878 (2021) doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.08.049

Engerer P, Suzuki SC, Yoshimatsu T, Chapouton P, Obeng N, Odermatt B, Williams PR*, Misgeld T*, Godinho L*. Uncoupling of neurogenesis and differentiation during retinal development. EMBO J, 36:1134-1146 (2017) *equal contribution doi: 10.15252/embj.201694230

Kleele T, Marinković P, Williams PR, Stern S, Weigand EE, Engerer P, Naumann R, Hartmann J, Karl RM, Bradke F, Bishop D, Herms J, Konnerth A, Kerschensteiner M, Godinho L, Misgeld T. An assay to image neuronal microtubule dynamics in mice. Nat Commun 5:4827 (2014) doi: 10.1038/ncomms5827

Godinho L*, Williams PR*, Claassen Y, Provost E, Leach SD, Kamermans M, Wong RO. Non apical symmetric divisions underlie horizontal cell layer formation in the developing retina in vivo. Neuron 56:597-603 (2007) *equal contribution doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2007.09.036