Email

trentw@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor

Neurosurgery (Primary) & Neuroscience (Secondary)
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship at Genentech, Inc.

South San Francisco, California

PhD from Stanford University School of Medicine

Stanford, California

Neuroscience

AB from University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Molecular and Cell Biology

Professional Interests

• Neuronal injury and cellular stress signaling pathways
• Axon regeneration
• Neurodegeneration
• CNS trauma, including spinal cord and optic nerve injuries

Professional Statement

Neurons encounter a variety of insults that profoundly impact the function of the nervous system, from trauma (e.g., spinal cord injury) to neurodegenerative pathology (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease). The fate of injured neurons depends on their ability to respond and adapt. My laboratory aims to understand the mechanisms and consequences of neuronal injury signaling. This understanding will drive the development of new therapeutic strategies to enhance repair pathways and reduce pathological responses. Axonal damage provides an invaluable system for these investigations, providing: (1) distinct examples of the strikingly contrasting outcomes of injury signaling, from functional axon regeneration to extensive neurodegeneration; (2) technical simplicity of both in vitro and in vivo models, including genetic manipulation; and (3) application to persistent challenges in neurology and neurosurgery. My experience in drug development and clinical biomarkers research guides collaborations with industry and clinical partners for translation of our basic research insights.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Simon DJ, Watkins TA "Therapeutic opportunities and pitfalls in the treatment of axon degeneration." Curr Opin Neurol. 2018 Dec;31(6):693-701. Pubmed PMID: 30320612
• Chan JR, Watkins TA, Cosgaya JM, Zhang C, Chen L, Reichardt LF, Shooter EM, Barres BA "NGF controls axonal receptivity to myelination by Schwann cells or oligodendrocytes." Neuron. 2004 Jul 22;43(2):183-91. Pubmed PMID: 15260955
• Watkins TA, Scholze AR "Myelinating cocultures of rat retinal ganglion cell reaggregates and optic nerve oligodendrocyte precursor cells." Cold Spring Harb Protoc. 2014 Oct 1;2014(10):pdb.prot074971. Pubmed PMID: 25275100
• Emery B, Agalliu D, Cahoy JD, Watkins TA, Dugas JC, Mulinyawe SB, Ibrahim A, Ligon KL, Rowitch DH, Barres BA "Myelin gene regulatory factor is a critical transcriptional regulator required for CNS myelination." Cell. 2009 Jul 10;138(1):172-85. Pubmed PMID: 19596243