The choreography of brain development: From RNA to evolution

The cerebral cortex controls our higher cognitive capacities and helps define us as humans. Cortical development is orchestrated by neural progenitors which give rise to neurons and glia. Aberrant cortical development can result in devastating neurodevelopmental diseases. Our lab aims to elucidate genetic and cellular mechanisms controlling cortical development and contributing to neurodevelopmental pathologies and brain evolution. This talk will highlight our recent discoveries regarding how spatial and temporal control of RNA as well as human-specific features impact cortical development.