The focus of my thesis is to use bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic embryonic stem cells that express GFP under promoters that are specific to the mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neuron lineage in order to purify and characterize populations that may be grafted in mouse models of Parkinsons disease. I also have a joint project in the Rutishauser lab involving the expression polysialic acid - neural cell adhesion molecules (PSA-NCAM)in the graft/lesion site in order to increase the integration of neurons into the CNS.
