Peter W. Baas (pbaas@drexelmed.edu)
Professor and Lab Director
Dr. Baas earned his PhD from Michigan State University, and then trained as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Temple University. From there, he was on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin for ten years before joining the faculty of Drexel University in 2000. Dr. Baas is interested in all aspects of the neuronal cytoskeleton, with a particular emphasis on the regulation of microtubules in developing neurons. He is currently the Director of the Graduate Program in Neuroscience, and the Director of an NIH-funded Postdoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences at Drexel University.
Wenqian Yu (wyu@drexelmed.edu)
Research Instructor
Dr. Yu earned her MD from Shanghai Medical University, and then joined the Baas Laboratory in 1993 as a Postdoctoral Fellow. She has remained in the laboratory since, and is currently a Research Instructor. She is the chief cell biologist in the laboratory, and is involved in several of the ongoing projects as well as the training of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows. She has published on microtubule transport in the axon, the role of the centrosome in generating axonal microtubules, the regulation of the dendritic microtubule array, the fragmentation of microtubules underlying collateral branch formation, and the role of microtubule severing proteins and molecular motor proteins in regulating key events in the establishment of neuronal polarity. Dr. Yu is the recipient of the prestigious Edward Jekkal Award.
Joanna Solowska (jsolowsk@drexelmed.edu)
Senior Scientist
Dr. Solowska earned her Ph.D. from the Institute of Immunology and Experimental Oncology in Gliwice, Poland in 1986. She is now the Chief Molecular Biologist in the Baas Laboratory, where she focuses her attention on microtubule-related severing and motor proteins.
Mei Liu (lmei@drexelmed.edu)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr.Liu obtained her PhD in the Molecular and Cell Biology at Jiangsu University, China in 2005. She joined the Baas laboratory in 2008 and focusses on the different molecualr motor proteins in neurons.
Shen Lin (shen.lin@drexelmed.edu)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Lin obtained his PhD at the MRC Centre for Developmental Biology in King's College London, England in 2008. He joined the Baas lab in 2008 and is working on the functions of molecular motor proteins in spinal injury models.
Haruka Sudo (haruka.sudo@drexelmed.edu)
Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Sudo earned his MD from KEIO Medical University, Japan in 1999 and obtained his PhD in the department of Pharmacology (research on Alzheimer’s disease) at KEIO Medical University, Japan in 2003. He joined Baas laboratory in 2008 and focuses on cellular function of Katanin in neurons.
C. Vidya Nadar (vcn32@drexel.edu)
Graduate Student
Vidya is a doctoral student in the Neuroscience Program at Drexel University. She earned her M.S. degree from the Tata Istitute of Fundamental Research in India in 2004, after which she joined the Baas Laboratory in 2005 for her doctoral studies. Vidya's thesis research project is on the role of cytoplasmic dynein and kinesin-5 in growth cone behavior.
Aditi Falnikar (af347@drexel.edu)
Graduate Student
Aditi is a doctoral student in the Neuroscience program at Drexel University. She earned her M.S. degree from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India in 2006, after which she joined the Baas Laboratory in 2006 for her doctoral studies. Aditi's thesis research project is aimed at elucidating the organization of microtubule array in migrating neurons.
Daphney Jean (dcj25@drexel.edu)
Graduate Student
Daphney Jean is a doctoral student in the neuroscience program at Drexel university. She earned a BS in biology from Stony Brook University in 2004. Daphney joined the Baas laboratory in 2008 to study the role of doublecortin in axonal branch formation. The project is a collaboration with Dr. Mark Black at Temple University.
Herbert Francisco (hhf23@drexel.edu)
Graduate Student
Herb is a doctoral student in the Neuroscience program at Drexel University. He earned a BS in Biology from Kutztown University in 2001 and an MS in Neuroscience from Drexel in 2006. He is investigating the contribution of cytoskeletal components to axon elasticity during tension induced growth.
