Bonnie Marsick

Ph.D. 2010

Thesis Title:

The role of actin-binding proteins in mediating growth cone guidance to
neurotrophins

Current Position:

Associate Director and Research Scientist with ScienCell Research Laboratories

Undergraduate Institution and Major/Degree:

State University of New York (SUNY) College at Geneseo; BA in psychology; 2004

Major Advisor(s):

Paul Letourneau, Ph.D.

Research Description:

I'm interested in how neural networks are formed during development and how to repair damaged networks in adulthood – as in the case of spinal cord injury. Specifically, I'm interested in how the motile tips of extending axons - growth cones - respond to the myriad of extracellular molecular cues that result in their connection with the correct target. We use in vitro as well as in vivo techniques to study the roles of specific proteins in this process.

Lab Rotations:

  • Lorene Lanier
  • Lance Zirpel
  • Paul Letourneau

Conferences Attended:

  • Society for Neuroscience, Annual Meeting: 2002-2007

Selected Publications:

  • Marsick BM, Roche FK, Letourneau PC. Repulsive axon guidance cues ephrin-A2 and slit3 stop protrusion of the growth cone leading margin concurrently with inhibition of ADF/cofilin and ERM proteins. Cytoskeleton (Hoboken). 2012;69(7):496-505.
  • Marsick BM, San Miguel-Ruiz JE, Letourneau PC. Activation of ezrin/radixin/moesin mediates attractive growth cone guidance through regulation of growth cone actin and adhesion receptors. J Neurosci. 2012;32:282-296.
  • Spillane M, Ketschek A, Jones SL, Korobova F, Marsick B, Lanier L, Svitkina T, Gallo G. The actin nucleating Arp2/3 complex contributes to the formation of axonal filopodia and branches through the regulation of actin patch precursors to filopodia. Dev Neurobiol. 2011;71(9):747-58
  • Marsick BM, Letourneau PC. Labeling F-actin barbed ends with rhodamine-actin in permeabilized neuronal growth cones. J Vis Exp. 2011 Mar 17;(49). pii: 2409.
  • Marsick BM, San Miguel-Ruiz JE, Letourneau PC. Activation of ezrin/radixin/moesin mediates attractive growth cone guidance through regulation of growth cone actin and adhesion receptors. J Neurosci. 2012;32:282-96.
  • Roche FK, Marsick BM, Letourneau PC. Protein synthesis in distal axons is not required for growth cone responses to guidance cues. J Neurosci. 2009;29:638-652.

Awards and Honors:

  • Stark Travel Award; to learn a technique with Jim Bamburg at Colorado State University , 2007.

Home Town:

  • Buffalo , NY
Bonnie Marsick