Professor David Carter
Emeritus Professor
- Sir Martin Evans Building, Room Cardiff School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Overview
My research is in the field of molecular neuroscience, and concerns the role and regulation of genes that are expressed in the mammalian brain. Current research in this field is revealing a great diversity of both gene transcripts, and gene expression patterns across different types of brain cell (neuron). These new insights are providing us with a more detailed understanding of neuroanatomy, and the specific physiological roles, and potential pathological involvement of individual groups of neurons.
Roles
Module Leader: BI3315 Molecular Neuroscience
Module Leader: BI3452 Systems Neuroscience
Biomedical Sciences Scheme Lead
Interested in joining my lab as a self-funded post-graduate student or a postdoc/fellow? Please contact me by email.
Research
Molecular mechanisms of neuronal function
Research in my laboratory concerns the fundamental mechanisms, pre-, post-, and co-transcriptional that determine gene expression in neurones. Changes in the expression of particular genes occur in response to physiological and behavioural stimuli, and also during pathological states. Our aim is to understand the complex regulatory mechanisms that mediate these changes. We study particular model systems that permit the observation of dynamic changes in transcription factor complexes. This work involves the study of circadian rhythms of gene expression, and therefore relates to the understanding of biological timing mechanisms. We have studied the role of the AP-1 and Egr-1 transcription factors in detail but our work is now increasingly broadened to encompass genomic-level changes in gene expression (transcriptomics). Transcriptional profiling involves the use of DNA microarrays that can simultaneously measure the expression of thousands of genes.
In order to fully understand the functional interactions of multiple genes it is necessary to study neuronal regulation at the whole organism level. We make extensive use of genetic models and have generated many novel lines of transgenics in our laboratory. Recently we have designed novel genetic models that express a fluorescent protein (green fluorescent protein, GFP) under the control of the egr-1 promoter. These models give us new ways to observe and manipulate brain cells and, when combined with transcriptional profiling, can teach us about transcriptome variation between different groups of neurones. By designing transgenics with specific genetic alterations we hope to provide important insights into neuronal function, and ultimately neurological disease.
Collaborations
- Professor V Crunelli, School of Biosciences,Cardiff University, UK
- Dr DC Klein, NICHD, NIH, USA
- Dr T Wells, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, UK