We first tested the effect of electric fields in guiding migration of neural progenitor cells from rat. Using this model, we also tested the underlying mechanisms using genetic approaches. We found that application of electric fields guide migration of embryonic and adult neural stem cells. This electric field guided migration of neural stem cells requires epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor. We also found that an important intracellular signaling pathway, PI3K/Akt pathway controls the response of the neural stem cells to applied electric fields. These results led us to successfully launch of experiments using human stem cells.