The Westerfield Laboratory Institute of Neuroscience 1254 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1254 USA Contact Info: Phone: (541) 346-4596 Fax: (541) 346-4548 Contact Person: Judy Peirce Email: judyp@uoneuro.uoregon.edu

Our laboratory focuses on understanding the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of neurons.  We study how the specific properties of different kinds of neurons are regulated. 

We use zebrafish and a combination of anatomical, physiological, molecular, and genetic techniques.  The goal of our research is to provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the establishment of specific neuronal cell fates during normal development and what goes wrong during disease. 

Current projects include understanding the molecular genetics of ear and eye and development, especially as models of human disease. In particular, we are making and studying models of human Usher syndrome, the leading cause of deafblindness.

Lab Haikus from annual Institute retreat:

Mutant hunt is fun Tangoing through the gene pool Don't drink the water

Free the zebrafish! Take them to Amazon Creek We need more field trips

• Howe, K., et al. (2013). The zebrafish reference genome sequence and its relationship to the human genome. Nature 496, 498-503.
• Doelken, S.C., S. Kohler, C.J. Mungall, G.V. Gkoutos, B.J. Ruef, C. Smith, D. Smedley, S. Bauer, E. Klopocki, P.N. Schofield, M. Westerfield, P.N. Robinson, and S.E. Lewis.  (2013).  Phenotypic overlap in the contribution of individual genes to CNV pathogenicity revealed by cross-species computational analysis of single-gene mutations in humans, mice and zebrafish.   Dis. Mod. Mech. 6, 358-372.
• Gao, J., C. Zhang, B. Yang, L. Sun, M. Westerfield, and G. Peng. (2012). Dcc Regulates Asymmetric Outgrowth of Forebrain Neurons in Zebrafish. PLoS One 7(5), e36516.
• Phillips, J.B., B. Blanco-Sanchez, J.L. Lentz, A. Tallafuss, K. Khanobdee, S. Sampath, Z.G. Jacobs, P.F. Han, M. Mishra, D.S. Williams, B.J. Keats, P. Washbourne, and M. Westerfield, (2011). Harmonin (Ush1c) is required in zebrafish Muller glial cells for photoreceptor synaptic development and function. Dis. Mod. Mech. 4, 786-800.
• Ebermann, I., Phillips, J. B., Liebau, M. C., Koenekoop, R. K., Schermer, B., Lopez, I., Schafer, E., Roux, A. F., Dafinger, C., Bernd, A., et al.. (2010). PDZD7 is a modifier of retinal disease and a contributor to digenic Usher syndrome. J. Clin. Invest. 120, 1812-23.
• Dahdul W.M., J.P. Balhoff,  J. Engeman,  T. Grande,  E.J. Hilton, C. Kothari, H. Lapp, J.G. Lundberg, P.E. Midford, T.J. Vision, M. Westerfield, and P.M. Mabee.  (2010).  Evolutionary Characters, Phenotypes and Ontologies: Curating Data from the Systematic Biology Literature. PLoS ONE 5, e10708.
• Viktorin, G., C. Chiuchitu, M. Rissler, Z.M. Varga, and M. Westerfield.  (2009). Emx3 is required for the differentiation of dorsal telencephalic neurons.  Dev. Dyn. 238,1984-98.
• Washington, N.L., M.A. Haendel, C.J. Mungall, M. Ashburner, M. Westerfield, and S.E. Lewis. (2009). Linking human diseases to animal models using ontology-based phenotype annotation. PLoS Bio. 7, e1000247.

List of all publications.

Links:
ZFIN (the zebrafish information network) - the zebrafish model organism database.
The Zebrafish International Resource Center - resource and stock center for zebrafish.
The Society for Developmental Biology
Association for Research in Vision and Opthalmology
The Society for Neuroscience