Stephen Lawrence Zipursky

Dr. Lawrence Zipursky is a Distinguished Professor of Biological Chemistry at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, where he is also an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Larry Zipursky is interested in uncovering the cellular rules and underlying molecular mechanisms by which neurons make highly specific patterns of synaptic connections during development. The scale of the problem seems astronomical. How do cells in a developing nervous system "know" how to make synapses, or connections, to other nerve cells, or neurons, to create the proper wiring needed in the adult brain? Zipursky’s team discovered a gene called Dscam – which can produce over 38,000 versions of the Dscam protein through alternative splicing – that helps neurons choose the right paths to take as they extend through the developing nervous system. Zipursky’s research showed that Dscam helps a neuron distinguish between its own branches and the branches of other neurons, therefore promoting wiring among different cells. Dscam, along with a suite of other molecular mechanisms that Zipursky has identified, elegantly organize a complex neural architecture. This information is not only critical to understanding the healthy brain, but also to understanding how complex neurological disorders develop. Zipursky has received numerous accolades for his work, including the Horwitz Prize, the McKnight Scholars Award, the Sloan Foundation Scholars Award, and membership in the National Academy of Sciences in addition to his American Academy of Arts and Sciences membership. His numerous publications appear in top-tier journals including Cell, Neuron, and Science.