Brian A. Link, PhD
Professor, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy
Medical College of Wisconsin
Research: “Polarized endocytosis in retinal development and disease”
Brief Bio
Dr. Link is a Professor in the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology & Anatomy at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He received his PhD from Oregon Health Sciences & University and did postdoctoral studies at Harvard University. His research primarily utilizes zebrafish and focuses on ocular development and disease. There are two areas of particular interest. The first centers on understanding the cell interactions and signaling events that regulate critical steps for retinal progenitor cells during development: cell cycle exit, cell-type fate commitment, and cellular migration and differentiation. The area of interest is directed at understanding the complex genetics and cellular mechanism that underlie the blinding disease glaucoma.The E. Matilda Ziegler Foundation supported Dr. Link at an early and critical phase of his research career. Funds provided by the EMZF were used to establish a suite of transgenic zebrafish lines for studying the role of endocytosis in polarized signaling. The Link lab and others in the research community are now employing these tools to probe the nuances of endocytic trafficking on cell signaling during ocular development and disease.
