Research in the Greenberg lab has focused on identifying the mechanisms by which extracellular stimuli trigger cellular responses that are critical for proliferation, differentiation and survival of cells in the developing nervous system, and for the adaptive responses of neurons in the mature nervous system. Towards this end, we have studied a class of genes termed immediate early genes (IEGs) whose transcription is activated rapidly and transiently in response to a variety of extracellular stimuli including neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters. This work led to the delineation of the signal transduction pathways by which neurotrophic factors and neurotrans- mitters send signals from the plasma membrane to the nucleus to activate critical programs of gene expression.

We invite you to explore these pages, to learn more about our research, and to contact us with any questions or comments you may have.