Laboratory for DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

Uncovering the

principles of neocortical assembly and function

      Information processing in the neocortex relies on a highly ordered cytoarchitecture to serve higher cognitive functions, such as perceptions, voluntary movements and language. Neocortical neurons are organized into six major layers along the radial axis, which are further modified tangentially across areal subdivisions. These laminar and tangential organizations are key aspects of the cerebral cortex, and they are thought to underlie the increase in neuronal numbers and expansion of the neocortex during mammalian evolution. While the anatomical organization of the cerebral cortex was discovered by Theodor Meynert almost 150 years ago, the principles underlying the development and assembly of each neuronal component of the neocortex have only begun to unravel over the past decade.

      Research in our laboratory aims to understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie the assembly of functional subdivisions in the neocortex. We explore the extent to which intrinsic determinants control the specification of neuronal subtypes in the neocortex, as well as assess the extrinsic requirement that establishes the boundaries between functional areas. Through these studies we wish to understand the mechanistic basis by which unique sensory perceptions and functional circuitries develop in the human neocortex.