Instituto de Neurociencias,
Department of Developmental Neurobiology Unit
Av. Ramón y Cajal

03550 - Alicante
Spain

+34 965 91 92 78

g.lbendito@umh.es

Job opportunities

Postdoc
> Two postdoctoral positions available at ENI-Alicante
Date posted: Thursday 14 January 2010
Two postdoctoral positions available at ENI-Alicante

Our research focuses in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in theguidance of main axonal tracts of the CNS in mammals. In particular, we are interested inelucidating how one of the most complex axon guidance systems in the mammalian forebrain, the thalamocortical projection, develops. Thalamocortical axons translate sensory information to the cerebral cortex in a topographical manner.

Furthermore, recent studies have suggested that an abnormal development of this projection might be involved in some neurological diseases such as autism or epilepsy.

We are interested in the study two features involved in thalamocortical wiring:

1. Specification of topographical identity and targeting to the cortex, which allows the integration of these thalamocortical projections into the cortical circuit, and
2. Rewiring mechanisms triggered by thalamocortical inputs.

To study these mechanisms, we combine experimental embryology, imaging techniques and standard histology, cellular and molecular biology methods, using the miceas experimental model.

López-Bendito G, Chan CH, Mallamaci A, Parnavelas J, Molnár Z (2002) The role of Emx2 in

the development of the reciprocal connectivity between cortex and thalamus. Journal of

Comparative Neurology 451:153-69.

Jones L*, López-Bendito G*, Grüss P, Stoykova A, Molnár Z (2002) Pax6 is required for the

normal development of the cerebral cortex and its connections. Development 129, 5041-

5052.

Molnár Z*, López-Bendito G*, Small J, Partridge LD, Blakemore C, Wilson MC (2002) Normal

development of thalamocortical projections in the SNAP-25 deficient mouse. Journal of

Neuroscience 22, 10313-23. 

López-Bendito G and Molnár Z (2003) Thalamocortical development: How are we going to get

there? Nature Reviews Neuroscience 4:276-289

Molnár Z, López-Bendito G, Blakey D, Thompson A, Higashi S (2006) The earliest

thalamocortical interactions. Development and Plasticity in Sensory Thalamus and

Cortex. Springer, NY

Marín O and López-Bendito G (2006) Neuronal Migration. Evolution of Nervous Systems

(Striedter, G.F., and Rubenstein, J.L.R., eds) Elsevier. History of Ideas, Basic Concepts

and Developmental Mechanisms.

López-Bendito G*, Cautinat A*, Sanchez JA, Bielle F, Flames N, Garrat AN, Tagmale D, Role

LW, Charnay P, Marin O, Garel S (2006) Tangential Neuronal Migration Controls Axon

Guidance: A Role for Neuregulin-1 in Thalamocortical Axon Navigation. Cell 125: 127-

142.

López-Bendito G, Flames N, Ma L, Di Meglio T, Chedotal A, Tessier-Lavigne M, Marin O

(2007) Robo1 and Robo2 cooperate to control the guidance of major axonal tracts in the

mammalian forebrain. Journal of Neuroscience 27:3395-3407

López-Bendito G*, Sánchez-Alcañiz JA*, Pla R*, Borrell V, Picó E, Valdeolmillos M, Marín O

(2008) Chemokine signaling controls intracortical migration and final distribution of

GABAergic interneurons. Journal of Neuroscience 28: 1613-1624

Little GE*, López-Bendito G*, Rünker AE, García N, Piñon MC, Chédotal A, Molnár Z, Mitchell

KJ (2009) Specificity and plasticity of thalamocortical connections in Sema6A mutant

mice. PLoS Biol. 28:e98.