Barbara Ranscht

Biography

Barbara Ranscht earned her Ph.D. in Cell Biology/Developmental Neurobiology from the University of Tübingen, Germany in 1981. Her postdoctoral training was at King's College in London, UK, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambrigde, MA. Dr. Ranscht joined Sanford-Burnham in 1987, and holds an adjunct professorship in the Department of Neurosciences at University of California, San Diego. From 1989 to 1992, Dr. Ranscht was the recipient of a McKnight scholarship.

Research Interest

Our lab studies cell surface interactions that regulate signaling networks in the nervous and cardiovascular systems and in cancer. With focus on the brain, we investigate membrane glycoproteins that enable crosstalk of neurons with the environment during circuitry development and disease. Our group has contributed seminal insights into the functions of Contactin-1 (Cntn1) and T-cadherin (Cdh13) in axon guidance, synapse formation and myelination using knock-out mouse models as well as biochemical, electrophysiological, histological and cellular approaches. Our current work explores the role of T-cadherin in brain circuitries enabling learning and memory formation, and determines how Contactin-1 functions in processes of myelination and remyelination. Exploiting our mouse genetic model, we uncovered a novel function for T-cadherin in protecting against stress-induced cardiac injury, and revealed disruptions of T-cadherin-mediated cellular interactions in cancer. In these latter contexts, our research identified T-cadherin as a major receptor for Adiponectin (Adipoq), a fat-secreted, circulating hormone that is of high clinical interest for its role in positively regulating energy balance and protecting against cellular insult. Current work in the lab aims to understand the molecular processes and signaling pathways regulated by T-cadherin or Contactin-1 in nervous system, cardiovascular and cancer functions with the goal to derive translational applications.