Advisor
Jean Hebert
Jean Hebert
Professor Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience and Professor Department of Genetics
The neocortex is the part of our brain that performs our highest cognitive functions. In recent years, the mechanisms underlying how stem cells in the embryo generate the neocortex have become better understood. Armed with this knowledge, the Hébert Lab is developing approaches to replace and repair adult neocortical tissue after age-related degeneration.
The lab’s projects fall into two groups. In the first, we use the mouse neocortex as a platform for testing the ability of multi-cell type grafts (increasingly resembling normal neocortex) to integrate with host tissue. In the second, we are testing the ability of genetically engineered microglia that disperse throughout the adult neocortex to bolster neocortical function.
These are highly collaborative projects requiring multidisciplinary methods, which include molecular genetics, human embryonic stem cell biology, omics analyses, surgery, electrophysiology, live brain imaging, and behavioral tests, among others. Thus the Hébert Lab offers its members excellent opportunities for acquiring diverse and cutting-edge skill sets in an up-and-coming research area.