Jeremy N. Kay | Scholars@Duke

Jeremy N. Kay
Associate Professor of Neurobiology

We study how neural circuits devoted to specific visual processing tasks arise during development of the retina, and the consequences for circuit function when development goes wrong. The tools of mouse genetics are central to our approach, and we draw on a wide range of molecular, genetic, and imaging methods.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Associate Professor of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2020
Associate Professor in Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology, Clinical Science Departments 2020
Associate Professor in Cell Biology, Cell Biology, Basic Science Departments 2021
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society, Duke Science & Society, Initiatives 2017
Affiliate of the Duke Regeneration Center, Regeneration Next Initiative, Basic Science Departments 2021

Contact Information

2351 Erwin Rd, Aeri 5004, Durham, NC 27705
Box 3802, Duec, Durham, NC 27710
jeremy.kay@duke.edu (919) 660-7432
Kay Lab

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of California - San Francisco 2004
Duke Appointment History
- Assistant Professor in Cell Biology, Cell Biology, Basic Science Departments 2019 - 2021
- Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology, Ophthalmology, Clinical Science Departments 2012 - 2020
- Assistant Professor of Neurobiology, Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments 2012 - 2020
- Investigator Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers 2012 - 2016
Recognition
In the News
- JUN 24, 2014
  
  Two Neurobiology Faculty Win Pew Scholarships
- FEB 18, 2014
  
  Five Science Faculty Win Sloan Fellowships
Awards & Honors
- Pew Scholars in the Biomedical Sciences. Pew Charitable Trusts. 2014
- Sloan Research Fellowship-Neuroscience. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. 2014
Research
Selected Grants
- Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program awarded by National Institutes of Health 2021 - 2026
- Genetic and Genomics Training Grant awarded by National Institutes of Health 2020 - 2025
- Precise assembly of retinal circuitry through rejection of inappropriate synaptic partners awarded by National Institutes of Health 2021 - 2024
- Neurobiology Training Program awarded by National Institutes of Health 2019 - 2024
- Bridging gap in comparative biology using the tree shrew visual system awarded by National Institutes of Health 2021 - 2023
- Astrocyte-specific Molecular Cues in Retinal Angiogensis awarded by Hartwell Foundation 2021 - 2023
- Duke CTSA (TL1) awarded by National Institutes of Health 2018 - 2023
- Evaluation of CRB1-B AAV therapyin preventing photoreceptor death in murine models awarded by Vedere Bio II, Inc. 2021 - 2023
- Mechanisms of naturally-occurring astrocyte death during development awarded by National Institutes of Health 2019 - 2022
- Molecular and cellular strategies to rescue visual impairment in CRB1 disease awarded by Foundation Fighting Blindness, Inc 2019 - 2022
- Training Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology awarded by National Institutes of Health 2001 - 2022
- Repulsive mechanisms for spatial segregation of developing neural circuits awarded by National Institutes of Health 2017 - 2020
- Muller glial dysfunction in retinal edema awarded by National Institutes of Health 2016 - 2020
- Organization and Function of Cellular Structure awarded by National Institutes of Health 1975 - 2020
- Molecular control of neuronal position during retinal development awarded by National Institutes of Health 2014 - 2019
- Molecular cues for visual circuit assembly in developing retina awarded by Pew Charitable Trusts 2014 - 2019
- Molecular & cellular cues for circuit assembly in mouse retina awarded by National Institutes of Health 2016 - 2019
- Basic predoctoral training in neuroscience awarded by National Institutes of Health 1992 - 2018
- Cell-cell recognition mechanisms for neural circuit wiring in the retina awarded by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation 2014 - 2016
- NEI Mentored Clinical Scientist Development Program Award (K12) awarded by National Institutes of Health 2004 - 2016
External Relationships
- Vedere Bio II
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Paisley, Caitlin E., and Jeremy N. Kay. “Seeing stars: Development and function of retinal astrocytes.” Dev Biol, vol. 478, Oct. 2021, pp. 144–54. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.07.007.
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  - Perelli, Robin M., et al. “Environmental oxygen regulates astrocyte proliferation to guide angiogenesis during retinal development.” Development (Cambridge, England), vol. 148, no. 9, May 2021. Epmc, doi:10.1242/dev.199418.
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  - Ray, Thomas A., et al. “Comprehensive identification of mRNA isoforms reveals the diversity of neural cell-surface molecules with roles in retinal development and disease.” Nat Commun, vol. 11, no. 1, July 2020, p. 3328. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/s41467-020-17009-7.
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  - Luo, Lin, et al. “Optimizing Nervous System-Specific Gene Targeting with Cre Driver Lines: Prevalence of Germline Recombination and Influencing Factors.” Neuron, vol. 106, no. 1, Apr. 2020, pp. 37-65.e5. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2020.01.008.
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  - Peng, Yi-Rong, et al. “Binary Fate Choice between Closely Related Interneuronal Types Is Determined by a Fezf1-Dependent Postmitotic Transcriptional Switch.” Neuron, vol. 105, no. 3, Feb. 2020, pp. 464-474.e6. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2019.11.002.
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  - Puñal, Vanessa M., et al. “Large-scale death of retinal astrocytes during normal development is non-apoptotic and implemented by microglia.” Plos Biol, vol. 17, no. 10, Oct. 2019, p. e3000492. Pubmed, doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000492.
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  - O’Koren, Emily G., et al. “Microglial Function Is Distinct in Different Anatomical Locations during Retinal Homeostasis and Degeneration.” Immunity, vol. 50, no. 3, Mar. 2019, pp. 723-737.e7. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.immuni.2019.02.007.
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  - Ray, Thomas A., et al. “The Enigma of CRB1 and CRB1 Retinopathies.” Adv Exp Med Biol, vol. 1185, 2019, pp. 251–55. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-27378-1_41.
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  - Prigge, Cameron L., and Jeremy N. Kay. “Dendrite morphogenesis from birth to adulthood.” Curr Opin Neurobiol, vol. 53, Dec. 2018, pp. 139–45. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.conb.2018.07.007.
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  - Ray, Thomas A., et al. “Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact.” Elife, vol. 7, Apr. 2018. Pubmed, doi:10.7554/eLife.34241.
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  - O’Sullivan, Matthew L., et al. “Astrocytes follow ganglion cell axons to establish an angiogenic template during retinal development.” Glia, vol. 65, no. 10, Oct. 2017, pp. 1697–716. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/glia.23189.
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  - Wang, Jingjing, et al. “Anatomy and spatial organization of Müller glia in mouse retina.” J Comp Neurol, vol. 525, no. 8, June 2017, pp. 1759–77. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/cne.24153.
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  - Kay, Jeremy N. “Radial migration: Retinal neurons hold on for the ride.” J Cell Biol, vol. 215, no. 2, Oct. 2016, pp. 147–49. Pubmed, doi:10.1083/jcb.201609135.
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  - Redmond, Stephanie A., et al. “Somatodendritic Expression of JAM2 Inhibits Oligodendrocyte Myelination.” Neuron, vol. 91, no. 4, Aug. 2016, pp. 824–36. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2016.07.021.
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  - Visser, Jasper J., et al. “An extracellular biochemical screen reveals that FLRTs and Unc5s mediate neuronal subtype recognition in the retina.” Elife, vol. 4, Dec. 2015, p. e08149. Pubmed, doi:10.7554/eLife.08149.
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  - Lefebvre, Julie L., et al. “Development of dendritic form and function.” Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol, vol. 31, 2015, pp. 741–77. Pubmed, doi:10.1146/annurev-cellbio-100913-013020.
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  - Whitney, Irene E., et al. “Sox2 regulates cholinergic amacrine cell positioning and dendritic stratification in the retina.” J Neurosci, vol. 34, no. 30, July 2014, pp. 10109–21. Pubmed, doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0415-14.2014.
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  - Ford, Kevin J., et al. “A role for TREK1 in generating the slow afterhyperpolarization in developing starburst amacrine cells.” J Neurophysiol, vol. 109, no. 9, May 2013, pp. 2250–59. Pubmed, doi:10.1152/jn.01085.2012.
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  - Kay, Jeremy N., et al. “MEGF10 and MEGF11 mediate homotypic interactions required for mosaic spacing of retinal neurons.” Nature, vol. 483, no. 7390, Mar. 2012, pp. 465–69. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/nature10877.
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  - Kay, Jeremy N., et al. “Neurod6 expression defines new retinal amacrine cell subtypes and regulates their fate.” Nat Neurosci, vol. 14, no. 8, July 2011, pp. 965–72. Pubmed, doi:10.1038/nn.2859.
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  - Kay, Jeremy N., et al. “Retinal ganglion cells with distinct directional preferences differ in molecular identity, structure, and central projections.” J Neurosci, vol. 31, no. 21, May 2011, pp. 7753–62. Pubmed, doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0907-11.2011.
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  - Voinescu, P. Emanuela, et al. “Birthdays of retinal amacrine cell subtypes are systematically related to their molecular identity and soma position.” J Comp Neurol, vol. 517, no. 5, Dec. 2009, pp. 737–50. Pubmed, doi:10.1002/cne.22200.
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  - Muto, A., et al. “Forward genetic analysis of visual behavior in zebrafish.” Plos Genetics, vol. 1, no. 5, Dec. 2005, pp. 575–88.
  - Kay, Jeremy N., et al. “Staggered cell-intrinsic timing of ath5 expression underlies the wave of ganglion cell neurogenesis in the zebrafish retina.” Development, vol. 132, no. 11, June 2005, pp. 2573–85. Pubmed, doi:10.1242/dev.01831.
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  - Kay, Jeremy N., et al. “Transient requirement for ganglion cells during assembly of retinal synaptic layers.” Development, vol. 131, no. 6, Mar. 2004, pp. 1331–42. Pubmed, doi:10.1242/dev.01040.
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  - Kay, J. N., et al. “Retinal ganglion cell genesis requires lakritz, a Zebrafish atonal Homolog.” Neuron, vol. 30, no. 3, June 2001, pp. 725–36. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/s0896-6273(01)00312-9.
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  - Kay, J. N., and M. Blum. “Differential response of ventral midbrain and striatal progenitor cells to lesions of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic projection.” Dev Neurosci, vol. 22, no. 1–2, 2000, pp. 56–67. Pubmed, doi:10.1159/000017427.
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  - Kay, J. N., et al. “Trophic effects of androgen: development and hormonal regulation of neuron number in a sexually dimorphic vocal motor nucleus.” J Neurobiol, vol. 40, no. 3, Sept. 1999, pp. 375–85.
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- Other Articles
  - Ray, Thomas, et al. Formation of retinal direction-selective circuitry initiated by starburst amacrine cell homotypic contact. 18 Dec. 2017. Epmc, doi:10.1101/235978.
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  - Ray, Thomas A., and Jeremy N. Kay. “Following directions from the retina to the brain.” Neuron, vol. 86, no. 4, 20 May 2015, pp. 855–57. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2015.05.017.
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  - Voinescu, P. E., et al. “Birthdays of retinal amacrine cell subtypes are systematically related to their molecular identity and soma position (The Journal of Comparative Neurology (2009) 517, (737-750)).” Journal of Comparative Neurology, vol. 518, no. 2, 15 Jan. 2010, p. 254. Scopus, doi:10.1002/cne.22253.
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  - Kay, Jeremy N., and Herwig Baier. “Out-foxing fate; molecular switches create neuronal diversity in the retina.” Neuron, vol. 43, no. 6, 16 Sept. 2004, pp. 759–60. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2004.09.001.
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- Conference Papers
  - Kay, Jeremy N., and Megan Stogsdill. “Starburst amacrine cells orchestrate assembly of retinal direction-selective circuitry.” Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, vol. 56, no. 7, ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, 2015.
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Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Awards & Honors

Selected Grants

External Relationships

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Other Articles

Conference Papers

Recent Courses