Anthony K Canger

  • Associate Professor, Biology
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Dr. Anthony Canger

Anthony Canger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Sciences at Mercy University.   He is the Director and Co-Principal Investigator of the NSF S-STEM Scholars in Biology Program.  Dr. Canger maintains an active research program in his area of neuroscience with undergraduate research assistants.

BS - Biology, 1990; State University of New York at New Paltz

PhD – Cellular and Molecular Pathology, 1998; Stony Brook University

Dr. Anthony Canger’s current research is focused on understanding how neurons develop in the intact nervous system.  His lab investigates how these diverse and complex cells forms unique structures and connections in the brain.  Research is focused on the study of neuronal cell migration, axonal growth, dendritic development, and synapse formation.  Dr. Canger uses the chick embryo as a model system.  Neuronal cultures and intact embryos are used to study the cell adhesion and cytoskeletal proteins in these processes.  Current research investigates proteins including zyxin and paxillin that regulate actin dynamics.  This research is aimed more broadly at providing a better understanding the migration of cells in disease contexts such as cancer cell spread during metastasis. 

BIOL 275      Cell Biology

BIOL 309      Human Physiology

BIOL 309A   Human Physiology Lab

BIOL 355     Molecular Biology of the Cell

BIOL 366     Developmental Biology

BIOL 460     Research Capstone in Biology

Marrero, M., Canger, A.K., Ben-Jacob, M, Maliti, C. (2017) A Crash Course in Undergraduate Research: Changing Students Ideas about Science Practices. The Journal of College Science Teaching. 046 (05).

Canger, A.K., and Rutishauser, U. (2004) Alteration of neural tissue structure by induced expression of PSA by viral delivery of the PST polysialytransferase. Glycobiology 14(1):83-93.

 

Leake, D., Asch, W.S., Canger, A.K., and N. Schechter (1999) Gefiltin expression in zebrafish embryos: sequential gene expression of two neurofilament proteins in retinal ganglion cells. Differentiation. 65, 181-189.

 

Canger, A.K., Passini, M.A., Asch, W.S., Leake, D., Glasgow, E., Zafonte, B., and N. Schechter (1998) Restricted expression of the neuronal intermediate filament protein plasticin during zebrafish development.  J. Comp. Neurol.  388, 495-505.

 

Passini, M.A., Kurtzman, A.L., Canger, A.K., Asch, W.S., Wray, G.A., Raymond P.A., and N. Schechter.  (1998) Cloning of zebrafish Vsx-1: Expression of a paired-like homeobox gene during CNS development. Dev. Genetics 23, 128-141.

 

Asch, W.S., Leake, D., Canger, A.K., Passini, M.A., Argenton, F., and N. Schechter (1998) Cloning of zebrafish cDNAs for plasticin and gefiltin: increased mRNA  expression in ganglion cells after optic nerve injury.  J. Neurochem. 71, 20-32.

 

Passini, M.A., Levine, E.M., Canger, A.K., Raymond, P.A., and N. Schechter (1997) Vsx-1 and Vsx-2: Differential expression of two paired-like homeobox genes during zebrafish and goldfish retinogenesis. J. Comp. Neurol. 387:439-448.

National Science Foundation Jan 2018 – Dec 2023

S-STEM, STEM Scholars in Biology Award  

Collaborative Research: Institutional Collaboration to Recruit,   

Retain, and Graduate Low-Income Students in Bio   

Role:  Co-Director  

$2.3 million dollar award, 5 years with one year extension