Education
Research Experience
Teaching Experience
2019 - 2025
Stanford University
Doctor of Philosophy
Biology: Cells, Molecules, and Organisms
Thesis title: Cell biological underpinnings of UNC-6/Netrin-mediated axon guidance.
Thesis advisor: Kang Shen. Ph.D.
2015 - 2019
University of Notre Dame
B.S. Neuroscience and Behavior
Minor: Constitutional Studies
2020 - 2024
Lab of Kang Shen, Ph.D.
Mechanisms of axon initiation, growth, and guidance in vivo
Department of Biology
Stanford University
2016 - 2019
Lab of Cody J. Smith, Ph.D.
Development and regeneration of the dorsal root ganglia
Department of Biology
University of Notre Dame
2021 - 2024
Co-primary instructor
BIO 114: Building Up Developing Scientists (bioBUDS)
Stanford University
2023
Head Teaching Assistant
BIO 154 and BIO/NBIO 254: Principles of Neurobiology
Stanford University
2020
Teaching Assistant
BIO 158: Developmental Neurobiology
Stanford University
2020
Teaching Assistant
BIO 84: Physiology
Stanford University
2017
Teaching Assistant
BIOS 20250: Classical and Molecular Genetics
University of Notre Dame
Selected Publications
Nichols EL, Green LA, Smith CJ. 2018. Ensheathing cells utilize dynamic tiling of neuronal somas in development and injury as early as neuronal differentiation. Neural Dev. 13:19. doi: 10.1186/s13064-018-0115-8.
Nichols EL and Smith CJ. Pioneer axons employ Cajal’s battering ram to enter the spinal cord. 2019. Nat Commun. 10:562. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08421-9.
Zhang Y*, Nichols EL*, Zellmer AM, Kankel C, Howard SH, Smith CJ. Generating intravital super-resolution movies with conventional microscopy reveals actin dynamics that construct pioneer axons. 2019. Development. 146:dev.171512. doi: 10.1242/dev.171512.
Nichols EL and Smith CJ. Synaptic-like vesicles facilitate pioneer axon invasion. 2019. Curr Biol. 29(16):2652-2664.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.078.
Nichols EL and Smith CJ. Functional regeneration of the sensory root via axonal invasion. 2020. Cell Rep. 30(1):9-17.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.008.
Kikel-Coury NL, Green LA, Nichols EL, Zellmer AM, Pai S, Hedlund SA, Marsden K, Smith CJ. Pioneer axons utilize a dcc signaling-mediated invasion brake to precisely complete their pathfinding odyssey. 2021. J Neurosci. 41(31):6617-6636. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0212-21.2021.
Green LA*, Gallant RM*, Brandt JP, Nichols EL, Smith CJ. A subset oligodendrocyte lineage cells with the developing dorsal root entry zone during its genesis. 2022. Front Cell Neurosci. 16:893629. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2022.893629.
Priest JM, Nichols EL, Smock RJ, Mendoza JM, Meijers R, Shen K, Özkan E. Structural insights into the formation of repulsive Netrin guidance complexes. 2024. Sci. Adv. 10(7):eadj8083. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adj8083
Nichols EL. A debate in bad faith: Naming anti-transgender bias in the Journal of Physiology. 2024. J Physiol. 602(20):5395-5396. doi: 10.1113/JP287492.
Weatherton M, Ko M, Nichols EL, Krishnan S, Faber C. All In: Understanding and Motivating Stakeholders to Create an Equitable Culture of Student Success. 2024. CBE Life Sci Educ. 23(4):es10. doi: 10.1187/cbe.24-02-0065
Nichols EL, Lee J and Shen K. UNC-6/Netrin promotes adhesion and directed growth within a single axon. 2025. eLife. 13:RP100424. doi: 10.7554/eLife.100424.3.
*these authors contributed equally
Teaching Materials
Nichols, EL (2023). Guided Goal Setting for Mentors and Mentees. bioBUDS: Building Up Developing Scientists, QUBES Education Resources. doi: 10.25334/Y0EX-7W42
Nichols, EL (2023). Mentorship Check-In. bioBUDS: Building Up Developing Scientists, QUBES Educational Resources. doi: 10.25334/VZGY-EX95
Fellowships
2022 – 2024 Leaders in Inclusive Teaching Fellowship
Center for Teaching and Learning
Stanford University
2020 – 2023 Graduate Research Fellowship Program
National Science Foundation
Stanford University
2018 Research Experience for Undergraduates
National Science Foundation
University of Notre Dame
2017 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
College of Science
University of Notre Dame