Topic: human cortical development

This lecture asks how developing brains generate many distinct neuronal types. It examines the contribution of a stem cell's spatial origin and its changing developmental state. Work in simpler nervous systems provides molecular examples that can inform the study of human cortical development.

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) impose a global burden, affecting an increasing number of individuals. While some causative genes have been identified, understanding the human-specific mechanisms involved in these disorders remains limited. Traditional gene-driven approaches for modeling brain diseases have failed to capture the diverse and convergent mechanisms at play. Centrosomes and cilia act as intermediaries between environmental and intrinsic signals, regulating cellular behavior. Mutations or dosage variations disrupting their function have been linked to brain formation deficits,