Dr. Charles Stiles

Biography

Charles Dean Stiles is a Professor Emeritus in Neurobiology at Harvard University. His research focuses on CNS-specific bHLH transcription factors, particularly Olig1 and Olig2, which are crucial for the development of the central nervous system. The Olig genes are mapped to a critical region of human chromosome 21 associated with certain syndromes. His work has shown that these genes are expressed in progenitor cells that develop into various types of neurons and oligodendrocytes, which are essential for proper nerve function. Stiles has discovered that the targeted disruption of Olig1 and Olig2 in developing embryos significantly affects the patterning of the ventral spinal cord and inhibits the formation of oligodendrocytes and motor neurons. Additionally, his research has revealed that Olig2, which is found in stem-like cells of high-grade human gliomas, is vital for tumor formation in genetically relevant murine models. His laboratory employs a variety of methods including mass spectroscopy, ChIP/Seq, and high-throughput RNAi screens to unravel the structural features and genetic targets of Olig proteins and their key co-regulators.

Research Interests