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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Kerry Tucker’s neuron development study published in ‘Developmental Biology’

Kerry L. Tucker, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences, published a research article in the scientific journal, Developmental Biology, titled, "Primary cilia are critical for Sonic hedgehog-mediated dopaminergic neurogenesis in the embryonic midbrain."

Collaborating with a research team at the University of Bonn in Bonn, Germany, Tucker's laboratory investigated the development of a population of neurons in the midbrain that are critical for coordinating movement. Degeneration of these neurons leads to the debilitating defects seen in patients with Parkinson's disease. Tucker's lab used several genetically engineered mouse models to show that the primary cilium, a cellular organelle, is essential for normal development of this neuronal population. His laboratory is now investigating potential roles that the primary cilium may play in the degeneration process seen in Parkinson's.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.