UHBrain seminar by Professor Elena Taverna (Human Technopole, Italy)

Mapping Cell Fate to Organelle Function in Human Brain Development and Disease

Host: Takashi Namba

Abstract:

How do organelles contribute to the acquisition of cell identity during human brain development, and how does their dysfunction lead to disease? My lab addresses these questions by investigating organelle function in neural stem cells, with a particular focus on the Golgi apparatus and the primary cilium. Our work explores how these interconnected organelles, and processes such as glycosylation, contribute to neural progenitor fate and developmental trajectories. By combining human brain organoids, disease modeling, and advanced imaging, we investigate how disruption of organelle function and glycosylation alters neurodevelopment in congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs). Ultimately, our work aims to establish organelles as active regulators of cell fate and uncover how their dysfunction contributes to human neurodevelopmental disease.