Alyson Fournier

The Fournier lab focuses on the molecular and cellular biology of neurite outgrowth and growth cone guidance. Neurons in the central nervous system fail to spontaneously regenerate following injury. The abortive regenerative response can be attributed to a lack of positive cues to support neurite outgrowth, and to the inhibitory environment of the CNS lesion site. While there has been progress in the characterization of myelin-associated proteins and glial scar components that inhibit neurite outgrowth, the mechanism of action of inhibitory proteins remains ill defined. The aim of our research program is to develop a better understanding of the molecular components participating in neurite outgrowth and growth cone collapse. A fuller understanding of the mechanism of outgrowth inhibition will be used to develop strategies to promote regenerative growth.

Keywords: Axon Regeneration, Axon guidance, Cell signalling