Development of the Nervous System

Development of the Nervous System, Fourth Edition provides an informative and up-to-date account of our present understanding of the basic principles of neural development as exemplified by key experiments and observations from past and recent times. This book reflects the advances made over the last few years, demonstrating their promise for both therapy and molecular understanding of one of the most complex processes in animal development. This information is critical for neuroscientists, developmental biologists, educators, and students at various stages of their career, providing a clear presentation of the frontiers of this exciting and medically important area of developmental biology.

The book includes a basic introduction to the relevant aspects of neural development, covering all the major topics that form the basis of a comprehensive, advanced undergraduate and graduate curriculum, including the patterning and growth of the nervous system, neuronal determination, axonal navigation and targeting, neuron survival and death, synapse formation and plasticity.

• Provides broad coverage of concepts and experimental strategies
• Includes full color schematics and photographs of critical experiments
• Outlines the molecular and genetic basis for most developmental events
• Written at a level that is appropriate for advanced undergraduates and beyond
• Includes designs of critical experiments that are easy to understand

Dr. Sanes is Professor in the Center for Neural Science and Department of Biology at New York University. Named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2010 for his research in auditory central nervous system development, his research has been supported by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the National Science Foundation. His lab studies synaptic plasticity and central auditory processing, and the phenomenon of hearing loss during development.

Dr. Reh is Professor of Biological Structure and Director of the Neurobiology and Behavior Program at the University of Washington. He is currently a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Foundation Fighting Blindness, and of a start-up biotechnology company, Acucela. He has received several awards for his work, including the AHFMR and Sloan Scholar awards and has published over 100 journal articles, reviews and books. Funded by numerous N.I.H. and private foundation grants, his lab is focused on the development and repair of the retina, with an overall goal of understanding the cellular and molecular biology of regeneration in the eye.

Dr. Harris is co-chair of Cambridge Neuroscience and Director of Studies in Neuroscience. He is also Head of the Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience, and is Professor of Anatomy. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London in 2007, he was Professor of Biology at UCSD prior to accepting a position at Cambridge. His lab is working to elucidate the cellular and molecular events that are used to push or induce cells to transition from proliferating stem cells to differentiated neurons and glia, and how particular regions of the nervous system produce the right number of neurons and the right proportions of different neuron subtypes.

Matthias Landgraf studied Genetics at University College London and completed his PhD research on nervous system development at the University of Cambridge. He was a Royal Society University Research Fellow at Cambridge and is currently a Reader (Associate Professor) in Developmental Neurobiology at the Department of Zoology and fellow of Jesus College, University of Cambridge, working on the emergence of synaptic specificity in motor systems.