Lora B. Sweeney

This study constructs a cross-species spinal interneuron atlas and shows that Hox-dependent regionalization of circuits drives motor output diversity across vertebrate body regions.

This study traces the lineage of spinal cord progenitors in mice to show that individual progenitors can generate diverse neuron and astrocyte types, challenging the idea of fixed progenitor identities.

The paper compares spinal cord cell types across vertebrates, finding conserved developmental programs and divergent adult compositions, with mammalian-specific neuropeptide expression in the dorsal spinal cord.

This paper identifies AAV serotypes effective for transducing amphibian CNS cells and develops tools for neural circuit tracing and manipulation in multiple amphibian species.

The paper shows that spinal neuron diversity increases exponentially during frog metamorphosis as motor behavior shifts from swimming to limb use, with molecular similarities to mammalian circuits.

The paper shows that postsynaptic receptors influence presynaptic transmitter stability via trans-synaptic bridges, ensuring synaptic fidelity.