Chi-Bin Chien
Chi-Bin Chien studies the genes and cell behaviors of axon guidance, the process by which the developing ganglion cells of the retina find the brain. Imagine trying to find your way from the University to downtown Salt Lake on foot, using only short-range senses (smell, touch, and taste, eyes closed). This gives an idea of the task faced by a growing axon in the developing brain. The growing tip of the axon, the growth cone, has to navigate a long way across complex terrain in order to connect up with its target neurons. The Chien Lab studies pathfinding genes and molecules using time-lapse microscopy of living axons as they navigate to the brain. The next step is to understand how these genes work.
Fluorescent image of the visual system of a zebrafish larva, showing axons extending from both eyes into the brain.
Education: Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Academic Appointments: Associate Professor of Neurobiology & Anatomy; Adjunct Associate Professor of Ophthalmology—University of Utah School of Medicine