Dr. Andre Sousa

Biography

The development of the human brain is a long and complex process choreographed by tightly regulated transcriptional programs. Proper regulation of these programs is necessary for developing numerous functionally distinct regions and cell types of the brain. The human brain exhibits morphological, physiological, and neural circuitry differences compared to other species, especially primates. This logically follows from the human-specific regulatory programs. Given the evolutionary distance, humans exhibit distinct social, cognitive, and motor abilities compared to classical model organisms, thereby limiting the capability to elucidate these unique developmental programs. Importantly, uncovering knowledge about the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in producing elements of human cognition and behavior has far-reaching biomedical implications, particularly as it underlies psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. The lab aims to identify and characterize these molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern human brain development and evolution, applying knowledge to understand neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. To achieve this, a multifaceted approach is utilized, combining functional genomic studies, developmental neurobiology using induced pluripotent stem cells and mouse models, and molecular cellular biology studies to inform about processes disrupted by alterations in genes associated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Research Interests