Research

We are interested in the functional and molecular basis of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy and intellectual disability, and in how these disorders manifest on the cellular and circuit levels of the developing brain. The lab implements molecular and physiological tools and uses Human Induced Stem Cells (iPSCs) and other mammalian models to answer fundamental questions in neuropsychiatry

Specific research interests

  • Formation of early cortical networks and maturation of cortical neurons

  • Cortical cellular diversity and architecture

  • Signatures of neurodevelopmental and autism-related disorders

  • Transcriptional specification programs associated with neuronal development

  • Genetics of sociability in canines

Our methods

  • Human stem cells reprogramming and differentiation

  • Generation and transplantation of human cortical organoids

  • Patch clamp electrophysiology

  • Multi Electrode Array recordings

  • Single nuclei RNA sequencing

  • CRISPR cloning