During the course of his research career, Thomas Jessell has elucidated some of the pivotal biochemical signals that shape the central nervous system.
Photo: Chris Denney

How One Group of Researchers
is Tracing the Development
of the Central Nervous System

For 13 years, HHMI investigator Thomas M. Jessell and his colleagues at Columbia University have been attempting to untangle the delicate connections of nerve cells in the developing spinal cord. Their studies have shown that the fledgling vertebrate nervous system is crackling with activity—genes are being turned on and off at a rapid pace, transforming immature cells into a billions-strong network of specialized neural cells.

This elaborate orchestration of neuronal circuits has captivated Jessell, who, during the course of his career as a developmental neurobiologist, has elucidated some of the pivotal biochemical signals that shape the central nervous system (CNS). Ultimately, Jessell hopes that his research will provide a more thorough understanding of how the CNS is constructed—this, he says, may suggest new ways to repair diseased or damaged components of the mature CNS.

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