| Citation | Bill Harris is distinguished for his fundamental contributions to developmental neuroscience: the molecular genetic analysis of signal transduction; growth and guidance of developing axons; the genesis of neurons in vertebrate central nervous system. He discovered the sevenless gene in Drosophila. He showed that while neuronal activity is required for late phases of cortical development, it is not required during earlier stages of axon growth and target recognition. He showed for the first time that the machinery for sensing and responding to guidance cues is localised at the tips of growing axons. His many discoveries in neurogenesis include the first vertebrate Notch receptor. |