Fellow

Marc Tessier-Lavigne is senior Vice President at Genentech. He is a world leader in the study of brain development and regeneration. He and his colleagues have pioneered the identification of molecules that direct the formation of connections among nerve cells in the mammalian brain and spinal cord. The mechanisms he has identified are important for understanding how the human brain forms during normal development, and provide essential tools to assist regeneration of nerve connections following brain or spinal cord injury. He identified the first known family of axonal chemotractants – the netrins – and went on to characterise two additional chemotractant activities, one for motor axons and another for sensory axons. Together with colleagues he has identified all the currently known chemoattractants for developing axons in vertebrates either by de novo biochemical purification or through matching known molecules to activities defined in vitro. He also pioneered the identification of repulsive axon guidan, showing that while netrins attract some axons they repel others. His work is of outstanding importance.