Roman Giger, PhD

 Roman Giger
Dr Richard Mark Newman Research Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology
Professor of Neurology
Medical School
[email protected]
Available to mentor
Roman Giger, PhD
Roman Giger
Professor
  • Qualifications
  • Center Memberships
  • Research Overview
  • Links
  • Recent Publications

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    • Qualifications
    • Postdoctoral fellow
      Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Neuroscience, Baltimore, United States
      1997 - 2001
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • postdoctoral fellow
      Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Amsterdam, Netherlands
      1995 - 1997
      Postdoctoral Fellowship
    • PhD
      University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
      1991 - 1995
    • MS
      University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
      1990 - 1991
    • BS
      University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
      1986 - 1990

    Center Memberships
    • Center Member
      Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design
    • Center Member
      Biosciences Initiative

    Research Overview

    Nervous system regeneration, sciatic nerve, optic nerve, axon growth, neuroinflammation, axon-glia interaction, myelination, mouse genetics

    Links
    • Giger Lab

    Recent Publications

     See All Publications
    • Journal Article
      AxoMetric platform facilitates rapid and unbiased automated quantification of axon regeneration in tissue sections
      Finneran MC, Rahmani T, Salioski IV, Schmitd LB, Passino R, Johnson CN, Giger RJ. Cell Reports Methods, 2026 Jan 1; DOI:10.1016/j.crmeth.2025.101296
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Deletion of Plxna2 Impaired Neuronal Network Synchrony in Mouse Hippocampal Slices
      Vollmar G, Chang W-C, Zhao X, Giger, Ph.D. R, Murphy G. 2025 Nov 15;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Diverse and Location-Specific Roles of PlexinA2, PlexinA4, and NCAM in Developing Hippocampal Mossy Fibers
      Zhao X, Kohen R, Van Battum E, Zeng Y, Zhang X, Johnson C, Wang K, Verhagen M, Lim B, Oses-Prieto J, Rasband J, Brulingame A, Pasterkamp RJ, Rasband M, Giger, Ph.D. R. 2025 Nov 15;
    • Proceeding / Abstract / Poster
      Memory deficiency in Plxna2 knockout mice is associated with reduced excitability and over-inhibition of granule cells in the dentate gyrus
      Chang W-C, Stangis K, Parent R, Vollmar G, Zhao X, Giger, Ph.D. R, Murphy G. 2025 Nov 15;
    • Journal Article
      Deletion of murine Sarm1 results in a microenvironment that delays peripheral nerve regeneration after injury
      Schmitd LB, Hafner H, Ward A, Adib EA, Biscola NP, Kohen R, Athaiya M, Tuttle M, Patel M, Williamson RE, Desai E, Bennett J, Saxman G, Wilborn D, Shumpert J, Zhao XF, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind DH, Hoke A, Shrager P, Collins CA, Havton LA, Kalinski AL, Giger RJ. Science Translational Medicine, 2025 Oct 8; 17 (819): DOI:10.1126/scitranslmed.adp9155
      PMID: 41061042
    • Journal Article
      AxoMetric: A Rapid and Unbiased Tool for Automated Quantification of Axon Regeneration in Tissue Sections.
      Finneran MC, Rhamani T, Salioski IV, Schmitd LB, Passino R, Johnson CN, Giger RJ. bioRxiv, 2025 Jul 3; DOI:10.1101/2025.07.02.662816
      PMID: PMC12236587
    • Presentation
      Protecting the Inflamed Vasculature to Enhance Immune-Mediated Retinal Ganglion Cell Regeneration
      Giger, Ph.D. RJ. 2025 Jul 17;
    • Journal Article
      Neurons maintain sequential order during radial migration by DSCAM-facilitated antagonism of N-Cadherin.
      Yang T, Hergenreder T, Veling MW, Wang Y, Fuerst PG, Giger RJ, Zhao X-F. bioRxiv, 2025 Jun 17; DOI:10.1101/2025.06.16.659927
      PMID: PMC12262280

    Featured News & Stories

         black background with long bendy purple nerve with different pain points in red throughout
    Health Lab

    Study reveals the dual role for a protein critical for healing nerve damage

    A recent University of Michigan study in mice finds a specific protein inside of the nerves, called Sarm1, appears to be essential for nerve regeneration.
         bioart
    Department News

    New Publication by Ligia B. Schmitd, PhD (Giger lab)

    Science Translational Medicine published, "Deletion of murine Sarm1 results in a microenvironment that delays peripheral nerve regeneration after injury," by Ligia B. Schmitd (Giger lab).
    Department News

    Congratulations to Roman Giger

    Congratulations to Roman Giger, PhD. for receiving the Research to Prevent Blindness Stein Innovation Award.
    Department News

    Congratulations to Roman Giger being named a AAAS Fellow!

    Roman Giger, Ph.D., is named as a 2024 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
    Department News

    April 25, 2024 New Publication from the Giger Lab!

    "Structure and function of Semaphorin-5A glycosaminoglycan interactions," has been published in Nature Communications.