معرفی
Vanessa Auld is a Professor in the Department of Zoology at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Science. She conducts her research at the Life Sciences Institute (LSI 3358) where she leads the Auld Lab, which focuses on understanding the development and function of glial cells in the nervous system using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism.
Dr. Auld received her B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia and completed her Ph.D. in Medical Genetics at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Auld's research program investigates the critical roles that glia play in nervous system development and function. Her lab examines how glial cells wrap, insulate, and protect the nervous system, with particular focus on three key questions: (1) What mechanisms drive glial cells to ensheathe/wrap their associated axons? (2) What proteins allow for the formation of the glial-based blood-brain barrier? (3) How do the glial layers interact with each other and the overlying extracellular matrix to support peripheral nerve sheath integrity? Her research has revealed significant parallels between Drosophila and vertebrate glia, demonstrating that disruptions in glial development can lead to loss of nervous system function, neurodegeneration, and death.
Dr. Auld's recent publications reflect her ongoing investigation into glial biology, with particular emphasis on tricellular junction formation, glia-ECM interactions, and the molecular mechanisms underlying axon ensheathment. Her work spans cell biology, developmental biology, and neuroscience, with applications to understanding human neurological disorders. She has developed numerous methodological approaches for studying Drosophila nervous system development, contributing significantly to the field's technical capabilities.
Dr. Auld has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows throughout her career. Her lab is committed to creating an inclusive research environment that values and welcomes people from diverse backgrounds and is dedicated to supporting members from groups underrepresented in the sciences.
The Auld Lab is situated within the collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment of the Life Sciences Institute at UBC Vancouver. The lab acknowledges that they work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
