Transcriptional control of neural stem cell differentiation during development and disease (2013-2017)
Abstract
Identifying the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling neural stem cell differentiation within the embryonic and adult brain is one of the great challenges of neurobiology. This information is critical if we are to harness the innate capacity of the brain to produce neurons throughout life in order to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. Moreover, these findings will provide important insights into the causes of cancers of the brain, including glioma, which arise from uncontrolled stem cell proliferation. This fellowship will use the powerful approaches afforded by knockout and transgenic mouse models to discover the genetic programs regulating neural stem cell differentiation during both development and disease.
