Generation of neuronal diversity in the developing telencephalon

Our goal is to identify the stem cell origins of neurons during embryonic development.
The cerebral cortex is a specialized region of the brain where higher order functions are carried out. There are two principal neuronal cell types in the cortex: the projection neurons, which relay information from other regions of the brain, and the interneurons, which interconnect projection neurons and modify their outputs. We are far from understanding how projection neurons and interneurons form functional circuits. As a first step we need to know how many cell types there are and how their different functions are established. At least some neuronal properties are determined during development. Our work aims to determine how and where specific classes of neurons develop in the embryonic brain and whether their sites of origin determine their properties.
We will use mice as a model system in this project because we can genetically modify them and mark specific populations of neurons to allow visualization of their sites of origin and long-term fates in the adult brain.
Our work may provide clues as to whether and how abnormal interneuron development may contribute to human neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy and schizophrenia where interneurons have been implicated.

Understanding how the brain forms during normal embryonic development is essential not only for understanding brain function but also for gaining insight into complex neurodevelopmental disorders. The purpose of this investigation is to identify neuronal subtypes generated from neural precursors in the ventral telencephalon. I will use long-term fate-mapping tools in vivo to identify neuronal lineages and determine the extent to which their spatial and temporal origin specifies their functional properties.