Unique genomic and molecular features of the human nervous system and their implications in disease
The human nervous system is the seat of our open-ended cognitive capabilities, which are, as far as we know, unique emergent properties in nature. I am interested in how these capabilities are built and wired together on a cellular level during early development. During my PhD work, I employed molecular profiling, three dimensional cellular models, and creative computational techniques to profile single cells of the developing human nervous system. My team uncovered timed cell-intrinsic developmental programs unfolding over months, characterized the transcription factor logic of differentiation trajectories, and used machine learning to connect epigenetic states to genetic risk for neurodevelopmental disease. Our data also suggested previously unrecognized developmental cell states: a multipotent progenitor expressing epigenetic programs of both oligodendrocytes and astrocytes; and two astrocyte precursors cells that we link to two adult astrocyte subtypes that were recently discovered in humans.
Many aspects of the developing brain remain unexplored. I am particularly interested in:
- How sensory and environmental inputs transform neural cell development immediatly postnatal
- How evolution drives the emergence of new developmental types
- How developmental processes can be disrupted or coopted in cases of neurological disease