Targeted areas include the generation of ocular cells for the treatment of eye disease; neural cells that might prove therapeutic for Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's disease, and pancreatic cells for applications in diabetes. These projects will include delivery of stem cells in animal models of disease, and will be facilitated by partnering with clinical researchers at other institutions.
The Coffey Lab is focused on retinal repair, optical imaging spectroscopy (OIS), and functional analysis of retinal repair.
Cellular mechanisms of retinal detachment, neural circuitry in the vertebrate retina, and bio-image informatics.
The overarching goal of our research is to design and engineer nanoscale drugs for the therapy of cancer. This involves 1. the investigation of fundamental mechanisms in cancer, 2. engineering synthetic drugs with superior specificity and efficacy and 3. appropriate drug delivery through improved carrier systems. Cancer types, which we have pursued in this context, include neuroblastoma and breast cancer.
My research interests lie in understanding the parameters that govern the action of cellular components of the nervous system that produce coordinated behavioral, endocrine, and cognitive processes. The focus of my current research is the functional consequences of and mechanisms that govern neurogenesis in the adult mammalian brain.
Neuroscience Research Institute
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9610
