Michael Fox, Ph.D.
“We want to know the cellular and molecular mechanisms that allow our brains to wire properly during early brain development.”
Vision is more than meets the eye
How does the brain’s visual system develop?
Long before a baby opens her eyes for the first time, her brain is ready to start decoding visual stimuli. This process begins with retinal ganglion cell (RGC) growth. These cells line the back of the eye and process and transmit light-derived signals along their axons, which make up the optic nerve. The axons grow from the eye to various brain regions, including the thalamus and midbrain. Michael Fox, Ph.D., is a neurobiologist who studies how synapses are formed during development, and, in particular, how synapses are formed between RGCs and their destinations deep in the brain.
mafox1@vt.edu
540-526-2050
R-2126, Riverside 2
- Professor, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC
- Director, School of Neuroscience, College of Science
- I.D. Wilson Chair, College of Science
- Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science
- Professor, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine
Monavarfeshani A, Knill CN, Sabbagh U, Su J, Fox MA. (2017). Region- and Cell-Specific Expression of Transmembrane Collagens in Mouse Brain. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience.
Monavarfeshani A, Sabbagh U, Fox MA. (2017). Not a one-trick pony: Diverse connectivity and functions of the rodent lateral geniculate complex. Visual Neuroscience 34.
Brooks JM, Carillo GL, Su J, Lindsey D, Fox MA, Blader I. (2015). Toxoplasma gondii Infections Alter GABAergic Synapses and Signaling in the Central Nervous System. mBIO 6(6).
- Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Campus
Assistant Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology - The College of William and Mary
Adjunct Professor, Department of Kinesiology
- Harvard University: Postdoctoral fellowship
- Virginia Commonwealth University: Ph.D., Anatomy
- College of William and Mary: B.S., Chemistry
- Young Scientist Lectureship Award, International Society for Neurochemistry, 2015
- NARSAD Independent Investigator, Brain Behavior Research Foundation, 2015
- Jordi Folch-Pi Award, American Society for Neurochemistry, 2013
- Young Investigator Award, International Society for Neurochemistry Annual Meeting, 2011
- Marian Kies Award, American Society for Neurochemistry, 2004
- University Leadership Award, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003
- H.L. Osterud Award, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003
- F31 NIH Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, 2002
- Travel Award, American Society for Cell Biology, 2002
- Young Investigator Educational Enhancement Award, American Society of Neurochemistry, 2002
- Jack Denning Burke Award in Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2002
- C.C. Clayton Award, Department of Anatomy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2001
- Election into Mortar Board Honor and Service Society, The College of William and Mary, 1999
- West Point (USMA) Scholar Athlete Award, 1997
- Patriot League Scholar Athlete Award, 1997
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Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute expands Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program , article
More than 30 undergraduate and high school students worked behind the curtain of biomedical research this summer at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC.
Date: Aug 16, 2022 -
Article ItemGraduate student recognized for relentless curiosity and service , article
“If you’re not out there understanding and engaging in conversation with the community, then how are you supposed to know how to best help them?” said Gabriela Carrillo, a doctoral candidate in Virginia Tech’s translational biology, medicine, and health graduate program.
Date: Jul 28, 2022 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists identify beacon molecule that prevents vision, behavioral problems in mice , article
The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, help decode how these complicated brain circuits form, laying a potential foundation for future research into how these pathways may be coaxed to regenerate.
Date: Oct 20, 2021 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows present neurobiology and advanced imaging findings , article
The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC hosted 20 undergraduate students this summer for a 10-week experience in two research programs that explore neurobiology and cutting-edge imaging technology to visualize living systems.
Date: Aug 24, 2021 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech graduate student receives three awards for research and community outreach , article
Rachana Deven Somaiya recently received the Outstanding Scholars in Neuroscience Award from the National Institutes of Health, the Virginia Tech Aspire! Award for student learning, and the 2021-22 Gaskins Graduate Scholarship.
Date: Jul 27, 2021 -
Article ItemTBMH student receives competitive NIH award to study molecule’s role in healthy brain development , article
Raymundo Hernandez, a graduate student in Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Program, studies how a specific molecule in the brain influences important aspects of healthy neurodevelopment. He was awarded a six-year $466,699 National Institutes of Health grant that will fund his remaining doctoral and postdoctoral research.
Date: Jul 19, 2021 -
Article ItemStudent outreach program shines light on path to STEM careers for community college students , article
Fourteen Virginia Western Community College Fralin Futures STEM-H Scholarship students joined the discussion during a virtual question-and-answer session about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers hosted by the Virginia Tech Carilion Student Outreach Program.
Date: May 02, 2021 -
Article ItemMedical student’s research offers insight into neural changes caused by parasitic infection , article
Michael Shlossman, a fourth-year student at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, researched Toxoplasma and its effect on alterations in four areas of the brain. His research focused on dopamine, a neurotransmitter made in the body and used to send messages between nerve cells.
Date: Mar 18, 2021 -
Article ItemFaculty academies recognize new inductees for outstanding leadership, service , article
Academies honor the exemplary contributions of faculty members of all classifications in formal service roles or in areas of leadership.
Date: Mar 01, 2021 -
Article ItemFralin scientists uncover mechanisms that wire the brain’s cerebral cortex , article
A research team led by Michael Fox, a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has identified the type of brain cell that produces collagen 19, a protein that is crucial for the formation of inhibitory circuits in the brain.
Date: Dec 21, 2020 -
Article ItemForbes names graduate student at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC to list of '30 under 30' to watch , article
Ubadah Sabbagh, a fifth-year student in Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine and Health program, is included in Forbes Magazine’s 2020 list of 30 young innovators in science with potential to make it big.
Date: Dec 02, 2020 -
Article ItemGraduate student receives highly competitive NIH award to fuse immunology and neuroscience research , article
Gabriela Carrillo, a Virginia Tech translational biology, medicine, and health (TBMH) doctoral candidate, has been awarded a six-year $445,000 National Institutes of Health award that will fund her remaining TBMH predoctoral research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, as well as her postdoctoral research.
Date: Oct 21, 2020 -
Article ItemScientists discover cellular structure of poorly understood visual brain region , article
The brain’s ventral lateral geniculate nucleus receives signals from the eye, but it is not associated with classical image-forming. In a new study, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC neuroscientists reveal newly identified brain cell subtypes unique to this region that form a striking layered formation.
Date: Jun 24, 2020 -
Article ItemMichael A. Fox named new director of Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience , article
Fox, director of the Center for Neurobiology Research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, will move from his current leadership position into a new role as director of the School of Neuroscience, taking over a position held by founding director Harald Sontheimer.
Date: Jun 08, 2020 -
Article ItemNew study shows how common parasitic infection can cause seizures and psychiatric illness for some , article
Forty million Americans are infected with a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. New research by scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC describes how brain circuits change as the parasite finds long-term shelter inside brain cells.
Date: Apr 01, 2020 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical researchers shed light on how to protect optic nerve from genetic harm , article
Virginia Tech scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute have developed a new insight about the most common form of inherited childhood blindness known as optic nerve hypoplasia.
Date: Mar 20, 2020 -
Article ItemDoctoral student named Society for Neuroscience Policy ambassador , article
Ubadah Sabbagh, a doctoral candidate in Virginia Tech’s translational biology, medicine, and health program who conducts research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, has been selected as one of 10 members of the Society for Neuroscience to participate in the Society’s annual Capitol Hill Day on Thursday.
Date: Mar 04, 2020 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute scientists shed light on surprising visual development patterns , article
The discovery shows for the first time that retinal cells recruit astrocytes to facilitate growth in visual processing brain regions.
Date: Jan 20, 2020 -
Article ItemGraduate student earns prestigious NIH award to map unexplored brain region, study optic nerve regeneration , article
Ubadah Sabbagh, a Virginia Tech translational biology, medicine, and health (TBMH) graduate student, has won a National Institutes of Health award that will fund his remaining TBMH predoctoral research and his future postdoctoral research. The award supports outstanding graduate students of underrepresented backgrounds in neuroscience research.
Date: Jul 19, 2019 -
Article ItemGraduate student in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health program receives prestigious Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Ben Barres Fellowship , article
Ubadah Sabbagh, a Virginia Tech translational biology, medicine, and health graduate student working at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, won the award as the most distinguished graduate student.
Date: Jun 28, 2019 -
Article ItemHundreds of STEM high school students to compete at Virginia Science and Engineering Fair , article
Hosted by volunteers from the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, 274 students will present their projects on April 6 at the Berglund Special Events Center in Roanoke.
Date: Apr 04, 2019 -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute to present the good, bad, and ugly at 7th Annual Brain School , article
Experts will share insights and extraordinary facts during the series of community lectures and hands-on activities from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 11, through Thursday, March 14, at 2 Riverside Circle in Roanoke.
Date: Mar 05, 2019 -
Article ItemMedical student’s Fralin Biomedical research contributes to visual system understanding , article
Gail Stanton has her sights set on residency in radiology. Her research on the visual system as both an undergraduate and medical student has helped inspire her path to that specialty.
Date: Feb 27, 2019 -
Article ItemVTCRI summer undergraduate neuroscience research federally funded for five more years , article
A summer pilot program for undergraduate neuroscience research at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute proved so successful that National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, of the National Institutes of Health, has provided $500,000 of funding for another five years.
Date: Jan 04, 2018 -
Article ItemGraduate student recognized with professional development award by Society for Neuroscience , article
The award promotes the advancement of career training for neuroscientists and includes registration for the recipient to attend the society’s annual meeting.
Date: Nov 29, 2017 -
Article ItemResearch at VTCRI reveals biological mechanism of a leading cause of childhood blindness , article
The discovery in a rodent model may provide insight into what happens in the visual systems of children born with a condition that prevents the optic nerve from fully developing. The condition is also associated with autism spectrum disorder.
Date: Nov 15, 2017 -
Article ItemEminent scholar in developmental neuroscience joins Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute , article
Albert Pan moved his laboratory this summer to join VTCRI. He also serves as the Commonwealth Center for Innovative Technology Eminent Research Scholar in Developmental Neuroscience.
Date: Oct 17, 2017 -
Article ItemUndergraduates will spend summer learning what it means to be biomedical research scientists in and out of the lab , article
SURF students in both programs will complete independent research projects, with guidance provided by VTCRI faculty mentors, to be presented at the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Research Symposia on July 27.
Date: Jun 13, 2017 -
Article ItemLeading scientists to gather in Roanoke for Central Virginia Society for Neuroscience symposium , article
The challenges and opportunities of neuroscience will come into focus Sunday and Monday as researchers from universities across Virginia and special guests from elsewhere in the U.S. converge at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute for the annual symposium.
Date: Mar 23, 2017 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute to host Brain Awareness Week , article
Scientists will reveal more about what they have learned about the brain’s developmental journey when the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute opens its doors for its fifth annual Brain School during Brain Awareness Week from March 13-19.
Date: Feb 15, 2017 -
Article ItemDevelopmental and Translational Neurobiology Center to open at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute , article
Led by Michael Fox, an associate professor at the institute, the center will enhance existing strengths in cell and molecular neuroscience and create a collaborative community for scientists.
Date: Sep 26, 2016 -
Article ItemVirginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists find molecular clue in development of schizophrenia , article
Scientists at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute have found that a small protein fragment significantly contributes to the brain’s healthy wiring.
Date: Jun 02, 2016 -
Article Item'Brainbow' tagging research reveals surprising data about visual connections in brain , article
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists examine evidence – gathered from visual circuits – that disputes a widely accepted belief about brain development.
Date: Aug 31, 2015 -
Article ItemScientist’s dogma-challenging work recognized with prestigious grant , article
Michael Fox, an associate professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, was recently named a 2015 NARSAD Independent Investigator.
Date: Jun 03, 2015 -
Article ItemScientists receive grant to study the leading cause of childhood blindness , article
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists receive a grant to study the leading cause of childhood blindness: optic nerve hypoplasia.
Date: May 28, 2015 -
Article ItemBrain School 2015 focuses on beginnings , article
Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute to host third annual Brain School.
Date: Mar 10, 2015 -
Article ItemSeeing trees for the forest: Scientists find new aspects to visual system development , article
Seeing is not a direct line; Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute scientists examine the structure of circuits that transmit visual information.
Date: Oct 09, 2014 -
Article ItemNew, surprising roles indicated for critical neurodevelopmental agents , article
Researchers from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute recently got a surprise after performing what they assumed to be a routine experiment in neurodevelopment. It was thought that taking away the receptors for an important glycoprotein called Reelin would hinder a developing brain the same way as taking away Reelin itself. The results, however, revealed major differences, indicating that both Reelin and its receptors have more roles than anyone knew.
Date: Sep 13, 2013 -
Article ItemBrain Awareness Week will highlight the wonders of nature's most remarkable machine , article
Imagine a portable supercomputer that requires only the wattage of a dim lightbulb to run and yet can decode ancient languages, invent fictional worlds, and distinguish friend from foe. The Virginia Tech community will be celebrating that supercomputer – the human brain – during Brain Awareness Week, which begins March 11.
Date: Mar 01, 2013
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