Author: annawilson

Investigators from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, led by Dr. Amita Sehgal, has uncovered that the NF1 gene controls the brain’s perception of time of day signals. Working in flies, her team previously found that the Nf1 gene is important for establishing and maintaining time of day (circadian) rhythms. However, […]

Investigators at the Washington University NF Center were delighted to have Professor Helmut Kettenmann visit from the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin. During his one-day stay, he spent time meeting and talking science with numerous members of the research staff and faculty to learn more about NF at Washington University. Professor Kettenmann is one of […]

Although every person with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is born with a mutation (change) in one of their two NF1 genes, the problems arising in any one person can be quite different. In an attempt to better understand the relationship between specific NF1 gene mutation and autism, Dr. Stephanie Morris examined over 50 people with […]

When the gene responsible for NF1 was first discovered over 25 years ago, the NF1 gene had not yet been fully identified. The ensuing two decades witnessed the identification of new segments of the NF1 gene, as well as the sequencing of the entire human genome. While these advances rendered a more complete map of […]

Gary Guo, MD recently joined the research laboratory of NF Center director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as foreign graduate student. Dr. Guo received his medical training at Shandong University in Jinan China, and is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Neurosurgery. Over the past several years, Dr. Guo has been studying malignant […]

While every person with the Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) cancer predisposition syndrome is born with a single mutation (genetic change) in one copy of their two NF1 genes, it is not known whether the type of mutation predicts what medical problems might arise in any given individual. Now, researchers at the Washington University NF Center […]

Kristen Jacobsen, PhD recently joined the research laboratory of NF Center director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as a postdoctoral research fellow. Dr. Jacobsen completed her graduate training with Douglas Graham, MD, PhD at the University of Colorado and Emory University, where she investigated the importance of the tumor microenvironment in breast cancer and leukemia […]

Min Xiong, MD, PhD recently joined the research laboratory of NF Center director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as a research fellow. Dr. Xiong completed her medical and PhD training in China. As a graduate student, she focused on the genetics of liver cancer. For the past several years, Dr. Xiong has been an attending […]

Children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are prone to the development of cognitive and behavioral problems. In addition, 15-30% of individuals with NF1 show signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In order to better understand ASD in NF1, researchers at the Washington University Neurofibromatosis (NF) Center assessed early communicative behaviors in two different Nf1 mouse […]

Nicole M. Brossier, MD, PhD recently joined the research laboratory of NF Center director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as a postdoctoral research fellow. Dr. Brossier completed her MD and PhD training at the University of Alabama, Birmingham under the mentorship of Steven Carroll, MD, PhD, where she worked on malignant peripheral sheath tumors. She […]

Jason Papke, MS recently joined the research laboratory of NF Center director, David H. Gutmann, MD, PhD, as a staff scientist. Mr. Papke was previously a research assistant at St. Louis University (SLU) in the Department of Pharmacological and Physiological Science. Jason completed his undergraduate training in Biology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and […]

Nearly one in every five children with NF1 will develop a brain tumor involving the nerve that carries vision from the eye to the brain (optic nerve). When these tumors begin to affect vision, the decision to start chemotherapy is made. Unfortunately, despite treatment, many of these optic gliomas do not stop growing or vision […]

Children with Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) are prone to the development of low-grade brain tumors affecting the nerve carrying vision to the brain, called the optic nerve. Where these tumors come from has been a matter of scientific debate. Using new genetic modeling strategies, recent studies indicate that optic gliomas can arise from two different […]