Joriene C. De Nooij, PhD

Research in my laboratory is aimed at understanding the molecular and cellular basis of the proprioceptive sensory system, which is critical for normal motor behavior. Specifically, we are interested in delineating the molecular correlates of the main proprioceptor subtypes (group Ia and II muscle spindle afferents and group Ib Golgi tendon afferents), and how each of these subclasses contribute in generating coordinated motor output. Using the mouse as a model system, we employ molecular (including single cell RNAseq), genetic, and viral strategies, to define the molecules that drive proprioceptor subtype specification, map the proprioceptive connectivity patterns in spinal cord, and to assess the behavioral consequences of the loss of proprioceptors through genetic (proprioceptor) inactivation studies.

An additional, and increasingly important, focus of my laboratory is our work on developing protocols to derive somatic sensory neurons - including proprioceptors - from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The goal of these efforts is to develop in vitro model systems for sensory neuropathies such as Friedreich ataxia (FA) or chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) – devastating disorders for which there is no cure and which are in desperate need of new model systems that permit high throughput screening approaches. Leveraging our in vitro ESC/iPSC model systems with our in vivo mouse models, we seek to advance our understanding of proprioceptor development and function in normal, as well as in neuropathological conditions.