Our lab studies the molecular mechanisms that govern development and regeneration of neurons in the vertebrate central nervous system, using the teleost fish retina as a model tissue. We study neurogenesis during early development in zebrafish, during metamorphosis in marine fish, and during injury-induced neural regeneration. Our long-term goal is to fill critical gaps in our knowledge that are required to advance the field of regenerative medicine toward regenerating/replacing neurons in the human central nervous system to treat blindness and other debilitating diseases.