MCB Seminar: Elucidating proneural gene regulatory features to understand brain development and promote brain repair.

Featuring Dr. Carol Schuurmans, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, and Senior Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI).

Neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs) are the building blocks of the brain, producing mature neurons and glial cells with precise identities and functions. To build an operational brain, NPCs alter their differentiation dynamics depending on their location, life stage and host species. Despite these variations, the core drivers of neurogenesis have remained constant from fly to man. Proneural genes encode basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) that are required and sufficient to drive neurogenesis in all cellular contexts, across both vertebrate and invertebrate nervous systems. This high degree of conservation raises the question of how proneural TF activity is regulated to control the pace and fate of neurogenesis.

In this seminar, Dr. Schuurmans’ will describe how proneural TF activity is regulated during cortical development, and the application of this knowledge to neuronal reprogramming as a regenerative strategy.

All welcome to attend. Light refreshments will be served