Prof. Monaghan’s lab uses the axolotl salamander to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of complex tissue regeneration. Axolotls have the amazing ability to regenerate large portions of their limbs, tail, heart, and spinal cord. His lab studies the development and regeneration of the nervous system and limb and the interactions that take place between these organ systems to ask: 1) Why are nerves necessary for complex tissue regeneration? 2) What cellular properties do the axolotls possess that allow them to regenerate limbs and spinal cords? These important questions have the potential to impact our understanding of animal homeostasis as well as regenerative medicine.