Maya Shelly
Associate Professor
PhD, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
Maya.Shelly@stonybrook.edu
Phone: (631) 632-8684
Training
Maya Shelly attended the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, and received a Ph.D. in 2004. She was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, from 2004 to 2010. In 2010 she joined the faculty of the Department of Neurobiology & Behavior at Stony Brook. She has served as Ad Hoc reviewer for Journal of Developmental Neurobiology. She is currently a member of the Society for Neuroscience.
Research Statement
Our laboratory seeks to understand the complex molecular and cellular events that establish neuronal morphology and function during embryonic development. An early and essential event in mammalian embryonic brain development is neuronal polarization, in which distinct axonal and dendritic compartments are formed. Axons and dendrites differ in the molecular compositions of their cytoplasm, cytoskeleton, and plasma membrane. These differences underlie the unique morphology and function of these compartments, and are responsible for the directed information flow in the brain. Aberrations in neuron polarization lead to developmental neuropathologies, including intellectual and motor disabilities, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders. Our lab seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms for the critical events in neuronal polarization during normal development and in disease pathologies.
Publications
Szczurkowska, J., Lee, S.I., Guo, A., Cwetsch, A.W., Khan, T., Rao, S., Walz, G., Huber, T.B., Cancedda, L., Pautot, S., Shelly, M. (2020) A Localized Scaffold for cGMP Increase Is Required for Apical Dendrite Development. Cell Reports 31: 107519.
Rao, S., Kirschen, G.W.,Szczurkowska, J., DiAntonio, A.,Wang, J., Ge, S., and Shelly, M. (2018) Repositioning of somatic Golgi apparatus is essential for the dendritic establishment of adult-born hippocampal neurons. Journal of Neuroscience. 38, 631-647
Suarato, G., Lee,S.I., Li, W., Rao, S., Khan, T., Meng,Y., and Shelly, M. (2016). Micellar nanocomplexes for biomagnetic delivery of intracellular proteins to dictate axon formation during neuronal development. Biomaterials. 112, 176-191
Boly, G., Szczurkowska, J., Tamagno, I., Shelly, M., Constestabile, A., and Cancedda, L., (2013). Non-hyperpolarization GABAb Receptors Regulate Neuronal Migration and Axon/Dendrite Growth and specification by cAMP/LKB1 Pathway. Nature Communications. 4, 1800.
Shelly, M., Cancedda, L., Kim, B.K., Popescu, A., Cheng, P.L., Gao, HF. and Poo, MM. (2011) Semaphorin3A Regulates Neuronal Polarization by Suppressing Axon Formation and Promoting Dendrite Growth. Neuron 71: 433-446.
Shelly, M., and Poo. MM. (2011) Role of LKB1 - SAD/MARK Pathway in Neuronal Polarity. Dev. Neurobiol. 71: 508-527.
Cheng, P.L., Lu, H., Shelly, M., Gao, H.F., Poo. MM. (2011) Phosphorylation of E3 Ligase Smurf1 Switches its Substrate Preference in Support of Axon Development. Neuron 69: 231-243.
Shelly, M., Kim, B.K., Heilshorn, S.C., Cancedda, L., Gao, H.F., and Poo, MM. (2010) Local and Long-Range Reciprocal Regulation of cAMP and cGMP in axon/dendrite formation. Science 327: 547-552.
Shelly, M., Cancedda, L., Heilshorn, S., Sumbre, G. and Poo, MM. (2007) LKB1/STRAD promotes axon initiation during neuronal polarization. Cell 129: 565-577.
Lab Personnel
Joanna Szczurkowska, Research Scientist
Munassar Hussein, Graduate student
Tamor Khan, Graduate student
Chia-Te Chen, Graduate student
Alumni
Seong-ll Lee, Postdoctoral Fellow
Sneha Rao, Graduate Student
Giulia Suarato, Graduate Student (Material Science and Engineering)
Alan Guo, Graduate Student