Biology

Biol 120 - Biological Concepts: Cells, Metabolism, and Genetics

Biol 330 - Animal Physiology Lecture

Biol 331 - Animal Physiology Lab

The Katz lab examines spinal cord regeneration in the larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), to identify mechanisms that facilitate successful neuronal regeneration within the vertebrate spinal cord. After a complete spinal transection, these animals regenerate axons across the injury site and regain nearly full functional recovery of swimming behavior. We utilize spatial transcriptomics and immunostaining to identify cellular and molecular signals that contribute to regeneration. The lab also works to understand broader changes in the lamprey body after spinal cord injury such as changes in muscle and immune response.

• Guadarrama E, Heisse LW⁺, Morgan JR, & Katz HR (2025). Dynamic microglia/macrophage infiltration during spinal cord regeneration in larval sea lamprey. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. doi: 10.1111/nyas.15396. (⁺Undergraduate student author)
• Stanchak KE, & Katz HR (2023). Introduction to The Symposium: “The Role of Mechanosensation in Robust Locomotion”. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 63(2), 444-449.
• Katz HR, Hamlet CL (2023) Mechanosensory feedback in lamprey swimming models and applications in the field of spinal cord regeneration. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2023, icad079, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icad079
• Katz HR, Arcesi AA, Bloom O, Morgan JR. (2022) Activating Transcription Factor 3 (ATF3) is a Highly Conserved Pro-regenerative Transcription Factor in the Vertebrate Nervous System. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 10:824036. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2022.824036
• Katz HR, Fouke KE, McCarthy NA⁺, Morgan JR (2020) Recovery of Burrowing Behavior after Spinal Cord Injury in the Larval Sea Lamprey. Biological Bulletin,  239(3), 174-182. doi: 10.1086/711365  (⁺Undergraduate student author)
• Katz HR^*, Menelaou E^*, Hale ME. (2020) Morphological and Physiological properties of Rohon-Beard Neurons Along the Zebrafish Spinal Cord. Journal of Comparative Neurology, 1-17. doi: 10.1002/cne.25033 (^*co-first authors)
• Katz HR, Hale ME (2016) A Large-Scale Pattern of Ontogenetic Shape Change in Ray-Finned Fishes. PLoS ONE; 11(3): e0150841. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0150841
• Hale ME, Katz, HR, Peek MY, Fremont, RT (2016) Neural Circuits that Drive Startle Behavior, With a Focus on the Mauthner Cells and Spiral Fiber Neurons of Fishes. Journal of Neurogenetics, 30(2): 89-100. doi:10.1080/01677063.2016.1182526