The intricate process of brain development relies on a sequence of sophisticated and coordinated gene regulatory events, facilitated by the interplay among diverse signaling pathways, transcription factors, and epigenetic mechanisms.
Research within the Neurobiology team in the Genome Biology unit focuses on understanding how these synergistic events control gene expression programs that govern the specification of various cell fates during brain development, and how their misregulation leads to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs).
NDDs arise from disruptions in crucial developmental genes such as those essential for neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation, neuronal migration and maturation, synaptic maturation, cell-cell communication, and cortical folding, ultimately affecting the development of a fully functional brain. These disorders typically manifest early in development and are characterized by deficits that impair personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning.
The Genome Biology unit employs cutting-edge genomics, molecular biology, epigenetics, and bioinformatics tools to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying NDDs. We use 2D cell cultures, 3D brain organoids, developing mouse brains, and human brain samples as model systems to address key gaps in our understanding of brain development and NDDs.
