UCSF

Human cortical neurogenesis involves conserved and specialized developmental processes during a restricted window of prenatal development. Radial glia neural stem cells shape cortical cell diversity by giving rise to excitatory neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes, as well as olfactory bulb interneurons and a recently characterized population of cortical inhibitory neurons. Complex genetic programs govern the balance between self-renewal and differentiation, and between different cell fates, and disruption in these processes can contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders. In this body of work, I apply single-cell genomics tools to study how transcription factor circuits and genomic abnormalities relevant in neurodevelopmental disorders shape human cortical development.