Butler, Samantha

Associate Professor, Brain Research Institute

Neurobiology

Member, Cell & Developmental Biology GPB Home Area

Neuroscience GPB Home Area

Biography

In her own laboratory, Dr. Butler has focused on determining how neurons translate morphogens, such as the BMPs, over time to mediate strikingly different processes in the generation of neural circuits. During the course of these studies, she identified a critical mechanism by which the rate of axon outgrowth is controlled during development. The Butler laboratory is now examining how this process can be harnessed to accelerate axon growth in a regenerative context to stimulate the repair of neural circuits. The successful implementation of this technology could result in significantly improved recovery times for patients with damaged nervous systems.

Varadarajan Supraja G, Kong Jennifer H, Phan Keith D, Kao Tzu-Jen, Panaitof S Carmen, Cardin Julie, Eltzschig Holger, Kania Artur, Novitch Bennett G, Butler Samantha J   Netrin1 Produced by Neural Progenitors, Not Floor Plate Cells, Is Required for Axon Guidance in the Spinal Cord Neuron, 2017; 94(4): 790-799.e3.

Butler Samantha J, Bronner Marianne E   From classical to current: analyzing peripheral nervous system and spinal cord lineage and fate Developmental biology, 2015; 398(2): 135-46.

Pearson Caroline A, Butler Samantha J, Novitch Bennett G   Neuronal organization: unsticking the cadherin code Current biology : CB, 2014; 24(23): R1127-9.

Gaber Zachary B, Butler Samantha J, Novitch Bennett G   PLZF Regulates Fibroblast Growth Factor Responsiveness and Maintenance of Neural Progenitors PLoS biology, 2013; 11(10): e1001676.

Kandyba E., Hazen V. M., Kobielak A., Butler S. J., Kobielak K.   Smad1&5 but not Smad8 establish stem cell quiescence which is critical to transform the premature hair follicle during morphogenesis towards the Postnatal State Stem cells, 2013; .

Phan K. D., Butler S. J.   Bilaterally symmetric populations of chicken dI1 (commissural) axons cross the floor plate independently of each other PloS one, 2013; 8(4): e62977.

Kong J. H., Butler S. J., Novitch B. G.   My brain told me to do it Developmental cell, 2013; 25(5): 436-8.

Yamauchi K., Varadarajan S. G., Li J. E., Butler S. J.   Type Ib BMP receptors mediate the rate of commissural axon extension through inhibition of cofilin activity Development, 2013; 140(2): 333-42.

Hazen V. M., Andrews M. G., Umans L., Crenshaw E. B., Zwijsen A., Butler S. J.   BMP receptor-activated Smads confer diverse functions during the development of the dorsal spinal cord Developmental biology, 2012; 367(2): 216-27.

Hazen V. M., Phan K. D., Hudiburgh S., Butler S. J.   Inhibitory Smads differentially regulate cell fate specification and axon dynamics in the dorsal spinal cord Developmental biology, 2011; 356(2): 566-75.

Phan K. D., Croteau L.-P., Kam J. W. K., Kania A., Cloutier J.-F., Butler S. J.   Neogenin may functionally substitute for Dcc in chicken PloS one, 2011; 6(7): e22072.

Phan K. D., Hazen V. M., Frendo M.E., Jia Z.-P., Butler S.J.   The bone morphogenetic protein roof plate chemorepellent regulates the rate of commissural axonal growth Journal of Neuroscience, 2010; 30(46): 15430-40.

Hazen V. M., Phan K.D., Yamauchi K., Butler S. J.   Assaying the ability of diffusible signaling molecules to reorient embryonic spinal commissural axons JoVE, 2010; 31(37): .

Novitch B. G., Butler S. J.   Reducing the mystery of neuronal differentiation Cell, 2009; 138(6): 1062-4.

Yamauchi K., Phan K. D., Butler S. J.   BMP type I receptor complexes have distinct activities mediating cell fate and axon guidance decisions Development, 2008; 135(6): 1119-28.

Butler S. J., Tear G.   Getting axons onto the right path: the role of transcription factors in axon guidance Development, 2007; 134(3): 439-48.

Butler S. J., Dodd J.   A role for BMP heterodimers in roof plate-mediated repulsion of commissural axons Neuron, 2003; 38(3): 389-401.

Augsburger A., Schuchardt A., Hoskins S., Dodd J., Butler S.   BMPs as mediators of roof plate repulsion of commissural neurons Neuron, 1999; 24(1): 127-41.

Butler S. J., Ray S., Hiromi Y.   klingon, a novel member of the Drosophila immunoglobulin superfamily, is required for the development of the R7 photoreceptor neuron Development, 1997; 124(4): 781-92.