Skip to main content
Explore URMC
menu

David R. Kornack, Ph.D.

Contact Information

Phone Numbers

Office: (585) 273-3140

Faculty Appointments

Biography

Professional Background

EDUCATION:

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL B.S. 1983 Biology/Chemistry
Cornell Univ. Med. College, New York, NY Ph.D. 1990 Neurobiology
Yale Univ. School of Med., New Haven, CT Postdoc 1990-1994 Neurobiology

POSITIONS:

1983 - Technical Research Asst., Neurology Dept., University of Illinois Med. School, Chicago, IL.
1990-1994 - Postdoctoral Fellow/Associate, Section of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
1994-2000 - Associate Research Scientist, Section of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
2000-2016 - Assistant Professor, Dept. of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY
2016-present - Associate Professor (Service), Dept. of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY

Research

RESEARCH:
Neurogenesis in the Developing and Adult Mammalian Brain

Brain size and function depend on the generation of the appropriate number of neurons during development and their proper assembly into neural circuits. Our lab is dedicated to the study of neurogenesis (i.e., the generation of new neurons) in the mammalian forebrain. Specifically, we want to know how neurogenesis is controlled during development and why it persists in only a few particular brain regions in adulthood. To address these issues, we are applying molecular, cellular and anatomical techniques to a variety of mammalian models. Knowing the mechanisms that govern neurogenesis can further our understanding of the developmental basis of both the generation of neural diversity across species as well as the pathogenesis of abnormalities in humans. Moreover, continued neuronal production may have implications for plasticity in the adult brain – particularly for enhancing the brain's own capacity for self-repair after neuronal loss due to injury or neurodegenerative disease.

Credentials

Education

1983
BS | Northern Illinois Univ
Biology

1990
PhD | Cornell Univ Medical College
Neurobiology

Post-doctoral Training & Residency

1990 - 2004
Postdoctoral Fellow/Postdoctoral Associate, Section of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Awards


2011 Manuel D. Goldman Prize for Excellence in First Year Teaching
Location: University of Rochester

Publications

Journal Articles

2/2005
Kornack DR, Giger RJ. "Probing microtubule +TIPs: regulation of axon branching." Current opinion in neurobiology.. 2005 Feb; 15(1):58-66.

12/7/2001
Kornack DR, Rakic P. "Cell proliferation without neurogenesis in adult primate neocortex." Science.. 2001 Dec 7; 294(5549):2127-30.

4/10/2001
Kornack DR, Rakic P. "The generation, migration, and differentiation of olfactory neurons in the adult primate brain." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.. 2001 Apr 10; 98(8):4752-7.

Books & Chapters

2006
Chapter Title: The development and evolutionary expansion of the cerebral cortex in primates.
Book Title: Evolution of Nervous Systems
Author List: Rakic, P. and Kornack, D.R.
Edited By: L. Krubitzer and J. Kaas
Published By: Elsevier 2006 in Amsterdam

2004
Chapter Title: A lifetime of neurogenesis in the primate forebrain
Book Title: The New Cognitive Neurosciences
Author List: D.R. Kornack (2004)
Edited By: M.S. Gazzaniga, (Editor-in-Chief)
Published By: MIT Press 2004 in Cambridge

2001
Chapter Title: Neocortical expansion and elaboration during primate evolution: a view from neuroembryology.
Book Title: Evolutionary Anatomy of the Primate Cerebral Cortex
Author List: Rakic P.; Kornack, D.R.
Edited By: D. Falk and K. Gibson
Published By: Cambridge University Press 2001

VIEW ALL PUBLICATIONS