Brian D. Ackley

Brian D. Ackley is a Professor in the Department of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Kansas. His research focuses on neuronal development, cell adhesion molecules, and calcium signaling pathways in C. elegans, with applications in medicinal probe development. He obtained a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Northwestern University (2001) and a B.A. in Chemistry and Psychology from Virginia Tech (1994).

• Academic Rank: Professor
• Institution: University of Kansas
• Department: Molecular Biosciences
• Email: bdackley@ku.edu

Research interests include:

• Interactions between neurons and their environment during development
• Role of cell adhesion molecules (e.g., Flamingo/Celsr, CDH-4) in axon growth and synapse formation
• Calcium-dependent synapse formation and signaling pathways
• RNAi-based functional screening of extracellular proteins
• Collaboration with medicinal chemistry for in vivo probe development

Key scientific award: NIH Challenge Grant (2009).