My research focuses on understanding basic mechanisms governing brain development using the mouse as a model system. We also seek the opportunity to apply this knowledge towards a better treatment for human neurological disorders. Three major projects are currently pursued in my lab:

1. Function of Reelin in brain development.

2. The phosphatidylinositol pathway in human cortical dysplasia.

3. Role of Dyrk1A in neurogenesis and differentiation.

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D'Arcangelo G, Miao GG, Chen S-C, Soares HD, Morgan JI and Curran T (1995) A protein related to extracellular matrix proteins deleted in the mouse mutant reeler. Nature 374:719-723.

D'Arcangelo G, Homayouni R, Keshvara L, Rice DS, Sheldon M, and Curran T (1999) Reelin is a ligand for lipoprotein receptors. Neuron 24:471-479.

Deguchi K, Inoue K, Avila WE, Lopez-Terrada D, Antalffy BA, Quattrocchi CC, Sheldon M, Mikoshiba K, D'Arcangelo G and Armstrong DL (2003) Reelin and Disabled-1 expression in developing and mature human cortical neurons. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 62:676-684.

Assadi AH, Zhang G, Beffert U, McNeil RS, Renfro AL, Niu S, Quattrocchi CC, Antalffy BA, Sheldon M, Armstrong D, Wynshaw-Boris A, Herz J, D'Arcangelo G, Clark GD (2003) Interaction of Reelin signaling and Lis1 in brain development. Nature Genet 35:270-276.

Niu S, Renfro AL, Quattrocchi CC, Sheldon M, D'Arcangelo G (2004). Reelin promotes hippocampal dendrite development through the VLDLR/ApoER2-Dab1 pathway. Neuron 41:71-84.

Yabut O, Renfro A, Swann JW, Marin O, and D'Arcangelo G (2005). Abnormal laminar position and dendrite development of interneurons in the reeler forebrain. Brain Res 1140:75-83.

D'Arcangelo G. (2005) The reeler mouse: anatomy of a mutant. In: International Review of Neurobiology, GABA in Autism and Related Disorders, vol. 17, pp. 383-417. Elsevier Press USA, D. Dhossche and C Minor, editors.

D'Arcangelo G. (2005) Reelin mouse mutants as models of cortical development disorders. Epilepsy and Behavior, Vol 8, pp 81-90. Elsevier Press USA.

Ljungberg MC, Bhattacharjee MB, Lu Y, Armstrong DL, Yoshor D, Swann JW, Sheldon M and D'Arcangelo G (2006). Activation of mammalian target of rapamycin in cytomegalic neurons of human cortical dysplasia. Ann Neurol 60:420-429.

Zhang G, Assadi AH, McNeil RS, Beffert U, Wynshaw-Boris A, Herz J, Clark GD and D’Arcangelo G (2007) The Pafah1b Complex Interacts with the Reelin Receptor VLDLR. PlosOne 2:e252.

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Basil O'Connor Starter Scholar Research Award, The March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation, 2000-2002

Junior Investigator Research Awad, the Epilepsy Foundation, 2002-2003.

Graduate Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, SUNY at Stony Brook, Distinguished Alumnus Award 2003

Essel Young Investigator Award, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, 2002-2004

Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), The Rhode Island Award, 2005.

Honorable mention, Daniel X. Freedman Award, NARSAD, 2006.

Challenge Award, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), 2007.

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• Carlos Ballester (Developmental Biology)
• Cheng-Chiu Huang (Developmental Biology)
• Odessa Yabut (Developmental Biology)

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Migration of GFP-labeled neurons into the mouse embryonic cortex. Neural progenitors were electroporated with a GFP-encoding plasmid in utero at embryonic day 14. Four days later the brain was dissected and sectioned to visualize the migration of GFP-labeled neurons (green) toward the surface of the cortex. Nuclei of brain cells are labeled with DAPI (blue). Image by C-C Huang.

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