Stony Brook University · NeuroscienceLipid Signaling and Neural Development Lab
Maya Shelly · Stony Brook, New York
Research Focus
Dr. Maya Shelly's research focuses on understanding how certain lipids in the brain influence the development of neural structures called dendrites. These dendrites are crucial for forming connections between neurons, and proper development is essential for healthy brain function. Her lab investigates how lipids are transported in nerve cells and how they affect signaling pathways that guide dendrite growth, particularly during early brain development. This work has implications for understanding developmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia.
lipid transportneural developmentdendritesCRISPRphosphoinositide signalingmouse modelsneurotrophinsgenetic manipulationembryonic brain
Research Aims
4AIM 01Determine the role of the Nir2 lipid transport protein in dendrite development.
AIM 02Investigate how phosphoinositide signaling affects dendrite morphogenesis.
AIM 03Explore the mechanisms by which lipid metabolism regulates neural signaling pathways.
AIM 04Assess the impact of genetic manipulation on dendrite architecture in neurons.
Skills the Lab Values
cell cultureCRISPR gene editinggenetic manipulation techniqueslive-cell imagingmolecular biology assaysimmunofluorescence stainingWestern blottingneuron isolation techniquesquantitative PCR
Output against the department
Publications26bottom 4% of dept.641st of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.0kbottom 13% of dept.584th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.