Dr Rachel Ashworth
Lecturer
- Room: 6.03, Fogg building
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7882 3010
- Email: r.ashworth("at" sign)qmul.ac.uk
Research interests:
THE ROLE OF CALCIUM SIGNALLING IN NERVE AND MUSCLE DEVELOPMENT
Calcium ions are versatile intracellular signals regulating many cellular processes, including those involved in development and growth. The functional significance of calcium signals during maturation in intact embryos is still uncertain. My work addresses the role of calcium signals during key stages of nerve and muscle development in vivo. Using the zebrafish as a "simple" vertebrate model, I have characterized endogenous intracellular calcium signals in early neuronal and late muscle development. My work has shown that activity dependent calcium signals play an important part in myofibril organization during skeletal muscle development and have a role during differentiation, axogenesis and neurite pathfinding in the developing nervous system. Ongoing work, using a combination of physiological, pharmacological and genetic approaches, is aimed at defining the mechanism and function of defined calcium signals.
Research group:
Postgraduate supervision:
Mazelet, Lise; l.mazelet ("at" sign) qmul.ac.uk;
Wu, Houdini; h.t.wu ("at" sign) qmul.ac.uk;