My research focus stems from a broader interest in cellular structural plasticity and the signaling dynamics responsible for driving these changes. More specifically, our lab studies axo-glial interactions at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) during development, aging and disease. Currently I study the dynamics of synaptic competition during the early postnatal periods of NMJ development. Moving forward, I plan to characterize the ultrastructural dynamics that occur between the cellular components of the NMJ and investigate the molecular signaling networks that modulate them.

Publications:

1. Lee YI, Li Y, Mikesh MF, Smith IW, Nave KA, Schwab MH, Thompson WJ. (2015). Neuregulin1 displayed on motor axons
   regulates terminal Schwann cell-mediated synapse elimination at developing neuromuscular junctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci
   U S A. 2016 Jan 26;113(4):E479-87. PMID: 26755586
2. Smith IW, Mikesh MF, Lee YI, Thompson WJ. (2013). Terminal Schwann Cells Participate in the Competition Underlying
   Neuromuscular Synapse Elimination. The Journal of Neuroscience 33(45): 17724-17736.
   PMID: 24198364 (Featured Article)
3. Lee YI, Mikesh MF, Smith IW, Rimer M, Thompson WJ. (2011). Muscles in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy show
   profound defects in neuromuscular development even in the absence of failure in neuromuscular transmission or loss of
   motor neurons. Developmental Biology. 356(2): 432-444. PMID: 21658376

Presentations:

1. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. Washington, DC. November 17th, 2017. “ A role for terminal Schwann cells in
   postsynaptic remodeling at developing neuromuscular junctions.”
2. Institute for Neuroscience 9th Annual Symposium. College Station, TX. April 2017. “ Presynaptic influences on
   postsynaptic remodeling of developing neuromuscular junctions.”
3. College of Medicine Annual Symposium Texas A&M. College Station TX. March,2017. “ Presynaptic influences on
   postsynaptic remodeling of developing neuromuscular junctions.”
4. Institute for Neuroscience 8th Annual Symposium. Texas A&M University, College Station TX. March 2016. “Presynaptic
   Influence on Postsynaptic Differentiation and Growth at the Developing Neuromuscular Junction.”
5. Department of Biology Student, Post-Doctoral Research Symposium. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX.
   October 2016.“Postsynaptic Participation during Synapse Elimination at the Developing Neuromuscular Junction”
6. Behavioral and Cellular Neuroscience Seminar. Texas A&M University, College Station TX. February 2016. “Cellular
   Interactions and Mechanisms During Neuromuscular Synapse Maturation.”