I am generally interested in the mechanisms of inter- and intracellular communication within the nervous system. My project follows this interest through investigation of extracellular vesicles (EVs) as novel trophic signaling platforms in nervous system development. During development of sympathetic circuits within the peripheral nervous system, NGF signaling endosomes are key players in long-distance intracellular communication within sympathetic neurons. Our recent discovery that these neurons secrete EVs containing the NGF receptor TrkA suggests a potential intercellular communication mechanism within the developing neuronal circuit. My project aims to understand the functional role of these EVs and the responses they elicit in recipient cells.