Michael J. Caterina, M.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biological Chemistry Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Dr. Caterina studies the protein signals and genes that allow us to sense temperature and play a role in maintaining a normal body temperature. Using several candidate cell receptors, he plans to determine which receptors participate in temperature signaling and identify the genes activated by these signals. Knowing how neurons recognize temperature will provide insights into conditions such as fever, heat stroke and hot flashes. Barry Condron, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Associate Director, Department of Neuroscience University of Virginia Medical School Neuroscientists are just beginning to learn how to coax neurons to grow and make connections like they do in the brain. Using neurons from fruit flies as a model, Dr. Condron studies how chemical signals direct neurons to develop the correct shape in the developing brain. Understanding the mechanisms by which nerve cells make branching structures and connections will be essential to repairing and regenerating damaged nerves in humans, which could ultimately help those who have suffered brain or spinal cord injury or victims of stroke, Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. Katrina Forest, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Bacteriology University of Wisconsin, Madison Many bacteria use hair-like structures called pili to launch their assault during an infection. Pili play a role in attachment to host cells, establishing colonies and communicating with other bacteria. Dr. Forest plans to solve the chemical structure of a protein essential to pili assembly and signaling. Knowing the structure will provide new insights into this important organelle and may lead to new antibacterial agents to block it. Xi He, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Division of Neuroscience, Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School Genes that govern the basic body plan of an organism are so fundamental to life that such genes have changed very little throughout much of evolution. Using frog embryos, Dr. He will focus on a gene called Wnt-1, which is essential for establishing the body plan in vertebrates. Wnt genes can also act as proto-oncogenes in humans. Understanding the chemical signals that activate or modify Wnt-1 will answer fundamental questions about developmental embryology and provide insight into the mechanism behind cancer. Kelsey C. Martin, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences Brain Research Institute, Gonda Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center University of California, Los Angeles Dr. Martin studies one of the least understood aspects of neuroscience: the cellular changes involved in learning and memory. She focuses on synapse plasticity, the ability of a nerve cell to form stronger connections with neighboring cells depending on previous interactions. Her research will attempt to characterize the chemical changes that take place at the synapse and how these changes are communicated to the nucleus. Such work could improve understanding of mental retardation, Alzheimer's disease and other mental diseases.