Dr. Jeffrey Henderson

Dr. Henderson’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of programmed cell death in the mammalian brain and in stem cells under both normal and pathologic states; mechanisms of neural connectivity in the CNS; and the development of small molecule therapeutics targeting these processes. The laboratory developed the first 3D MRI/CT surgical atlases of the murine brain for strains 129, C57Bl and CD1; demonstrated the role of EphB2 and EphA4 regulating formation of inter-hemispheric tracts of the forebrain; provide first demonstration that EphB2 regulates learned opiate tolerance in vivo; provided the first demonstration of Bcl-2 in regulating gamma motor survival in vivo; the first demonstration of cytochrome-c in regulating motor neuron death following injury in vivo; first demonstration of Smac in tuning levels of PCD in vivo. Recently, the laboratory provided the first demonstration of novel regulatory interactions between apoptosis and necroptosis during cerebral ischemia in vivo and identified the absolute requirement of caspase-3 in regulating cisplatin-mediated cell death in vivo. The laboratory has also developed a low-cost ($100) open-source microelectroporator appropriate for primary cells, and in conjunction with Dr. R. Macgregor provided first demonstration of an entirely new form of gene transduction based upon the application of hydrostatic pressure.