Kelly Monk, Ph.D.
- Professor, Vollum Institute
- Co-Director and Senior Scientist, Vollum Institute
- Program Director, Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine
Biography
Kelly Monk is a senior scientist and co-director of the Vollum Institute. After earning her B.S. degree in Biochemistry from Elmira College in 2001, Monk pursued doctoral studies at the University of Cincinnati and was awarded her Ph.D. in Cell Biology in 2006. She did postdoctoral training in the lab of William Talbot at Stanford University School of Medicine. In 2011, she was appointed as an assistant professor in the Department of Developmental Biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and was promoted to associate professor in 2016. Monk joined the Vollum Institute in 2017 and was named director of the Vollum/OHSU Neuroscience Graduate Program in 2018.
The myelin sheath surrounding axons is one of the most exquisite examples of a specialized cell-cell interaction in the vertebrate nervous system. Myelin is formed by glial cells called oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system and Schwann cells in the peripheral nervous system. These cells associate with axons, and elaborate massive amounts of cytoplasm, ultimately wrapping axons to form the myelin sheath. While progress has been made to determine how glial cells make myelin, there is still much we do not understand.
How do glial cells transition from simple axonal ensheathment to membrane spiraling? What are the signals between glial cells and axons that regulate myelination? How is myelin maintained once it is formed? When myelin regenerates in disease or after injury, do the same developmental pathways that regulate myelination regulate remyelination? Or are there additional pathways necessary for this process, specific to adult tissue?
The Monk lab uses mouse and zebrafish models to better understand how myelinated axons are formed, maintained, and regenerated.
Education and training
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Degrees
- B.S., 2001, Elmira College
- Ph.D., 2006, University of Cincinnati
Areas of interest
- Glial cell biology
- Neuron-glial interactions
- Glial-glial interactions
- Myelination and remyelination
- Zebrafish
Additional information
Honors and awards
- NIH Bridging Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Scholar Award (2012)
- Washington University Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award (2015)
- American Society for Cell Biology Emerging Leader Prize Finalist (2015)
- Washington University Distinguished Faculty Award (2016)
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar Award (2016)
Publications
Publications
Astrocyte growth is driven by the Tre1/S1pr1 phospholipid-binding G protein-coupled receptor
NeuronA zebrafish gephyrinb mutant distinguishes synaptic and enzymatic functions of Gephyrin
Neural DevelopmentGlial Cell Development and Function in the Zebrafish Central Nervous System
Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in BiologySynaptic input and Ca2+ activity in zebrafish oligodendrocyte precursor cells contribute to myelin sheath formation
Nature NeuroscienceSARM1 detection in myelinating glia
Frontiers in Cellular NeuroscienceHumanized zebrafish as a tractable tool for in vivo evaluation of pro-myelinating drugs
Cell Chemical BiologyPathways to cures for multiple sclerosis
Multiple Sclerosis JournalPeripheral nerve development in zebrafish requires muscle patterning by tcf15/paraxis
Developmental BiologyPostembryonic screen for mutations affecting spine development in zebrafish
Developmental BiologyGpr126/Adgrg6 contributes to the terminal Schwann cell response at the neuromuscular junction following peripheral nerve injury
GLIALive-imaging of astrocyte morphogenesis and function in zebrafish neural circuits
Nature NeuroscienceStructural basis for adhesion G protein-coupled receptor Gpr126 function
Nature communicationsGAIN domain-mediated cleavage is required for activation of G protein- coupled receptor 56 (GPR56) by its natural ligands and a small-molecule agonist
Journal of Biological ChemistryMyelinating Schwann cells ensheath multiple axons in the absence of E3 ligase component Fbxw7
Nature communicationsDeletion of tsc2 in nociceptors reduces target innervation, ion channel expression, and sensitivity to heat
eNeuroGPR56/ADG RG1 regulates development and maintenance of peripheral myelin
Journal of Experimental MedicineMicroglial transglutaminase-2 drives myelination and myelin repair via GPR56/ADGRG1 in oligodendrocyte precursor cells
eLifeMutations in dock1 disrupt early Schwann cell development
Neural DevelopmentAnalysis of myelinated axon formation in zebrafish
Methods in cell biologyDynein/dynactin is necessary for anterograde transport of Mbp mRNA in oligodendrocytes and for myelination in vivo
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America