Maria Morrell, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Michigan Medical School

The goal of our research is study the potential of neural stem cells for repair after injury to the central nervous system. Certain regions of the adult brain contain neural stem cells that have the capability to form all types of neural cells: neurons (nerve cells), astrocytes (supporting cells) and oligodendrocytes (myelin forming cells). In this micrograph the spherical cluster of neural stem cells was stained to identify a protein typically found in astrocytes (red). The nuclei of the cells have been stained blue.