Proper brain wiring during development requires billions of neurons to form trillions of stereotyped synaptic connections. These synaptic connections are remodeled during development and in the adult by neuronal activity-dependent mechanisms. Our lab is interested in identifying critical cell signaling events and molecular mechanisms that mediate normal brain wiring and synapse plasticity with the hope of understanding how dysregulation of these processes leads to disease states. Our studies focus on two main areas: 1) signaling mechanisms of Eph receptor mediated axon guidance/synapse plasticity and 2) transcriptional regulation of synaptic and behavioral plasticity in drug addiction.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Synapse Plasticity and Remodeling in Drug Addiction
Neuronal Activity-Regulated Gene Transcription
Axon Guidance Signaling during development
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Suprabha Pulipparacharuvil, William Renthal, Carly F. Hale, Makoto Taniguchi, Guanghua Xiao, Arvind Kumar, Scott J. Russo, Devanjan Sikder, Colleen M. Dewey, Maya M. Davis, Paul Greengard, Angus C. Nairn, Eric J. Nestler, and Christopher W. Cowan, "Cocaine Regulates MEF2 to Control Synaptic and Behavioral Plasticity" Neuron, 59:621-33, August 2008
*Flavell SW, *Cowan CW, Kim TK, Greer PL, Lin Y, Paradis S, Griffith EC, Hu LS, Chen C, Greenberg ME, "Activity-dependent regulation of MEF2 transcription factors suppresses excitatory synapse number" Science, 311:1008-12. (*authors contributed equally), February 2006
Cowan CW, Shao YR, Sahin M, Shamah SM, Lin MZ, Greer PL, Gao S, Griffith EC, Brugge JS, Greenberg ME, "Vav family GEFs link activated Ephs to endocytosis and axon guidance" Neuron, 46(2):205-17, April 2005
Sturla LM, Cowan CW, Guenther L, Castellino RC, Kim JY, Pomeroy SL, "A novel role for extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 and myocyte enhancer factor 2 in medulloblastoma cell death" Cancer Research, 65(13):5683-9, July 2005
SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS
Suprabha Pulipparacharuvil, William Renthal, Carly F. Hale, Makoto Taniguchi, Guanghua Xiao, Arvind Kumar, Scott J. Russo, Devanjan Sikder, Colleen M. Dewey, Maya M. Davis, Paul Greengard, Angus C. Nairn, Eric J. Nestler, and Christopher W. Cowan, "Cocaine Regulates MEF2 to Control Synaptic and Behavioral Plasticity" Neuron, 59:621-33, August 2008
*Flavell SW, *Cowan CW, Kim TK, Greer PL, Lin Y, Paradis S, Griffith EC, Hu LS, Chen C, Greenberg ME, "Activity-dependent regulation of MEF2 transcription factors suppresses excitatory synapse number" Science, 311:1008-12. (*authors contributed equally), February 2006
Cowan CW, Shao YR, Sahin M, Shamah SM, Lin MZ, Greer PL, Gao S, Griffith EC, Brugge JS, Greenberg ME, "Vav family GEFs link activated Ephs to endocytosis and axon guidance" Neuron, 46(2):205-17, April 2005
Cowan CW, Fariss RN, Sokal I, Palczewski K, Wensel TG, "High expression levels in cones of RGS9, the predominant GTPase accelerating protein of rods" PNAS, 95(9):5351-6, April 1998
*He W, *Cowan CW, Wensel TG, "RGS9, a GTPase accelerator for phototransduction" Neuron, 20(1):95-102. (*Authors contributed equally), January 1998
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