Through postdoc work, we have developed iPSC-derived cellular tools for studying human synaptic function (Zhang et al., 2013 Neuron, Pak et al., 2015 Cell Stem Cell, Yi et al., 2016 Science, Pak et al., 2021 PNAS, McSweeney et al., 2023 Methods Mol. Biol., English et al., 2023 Methods Mol. Biol.). We are continuing to further develop these protocols to better model human synaptic function and neurodevelopment by recreating neuronal microcircuits in the dish.
Informed by our work and others on human iPSC-derived brain organoids, we are further developing these cellular tools through engineered biomaterials.
In collaboration with the Sun lab at UMass, we are actively pursuing novel protocols to generate brain organoids with proper dorsal-ventral and anterior-posterior axes, which would better mimic embryonic brain development in vivo.
Funding sources supporting these projects include:
NIMH R01, NIMH R21
Highlighted papers:
Zhang et al., 2013, Pak et al., 2015, Pak et al., 2021, Li et al., 2021, Xie et al., 2022 preprint, Sebastian et al., 2023 Methods Mol. Biol., Pavon et al., 2023 preprint