Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Time: 4:00 pm-5:00 pm, followed by reception
Speaker: Sally Temple Ph.D.
Affiliation: Scientific Director, Neural Stem Cell Institute

Host: Li-Huei Tsai, Ph.D.

Talk title: Temporal programs in Neural Stem cell Development and Aging
Abstract: Neural stem cells (NSCs) are foundational cells in mammalian central nervous system development, and they continue to contribute new neurons and glial cells throughout life in areas of the adult brain important for learning and memory. During development, NSCs produce diverse progeny on a precise time-schedule. For example, during cerebral cortical development, they produce layer-specific neurons in order, from deep to superficial, prior to generating glia. Notably, these temporal changes are programmed within individual progenitor cells , as they can be recapitulated by single cells isolated from the brain and dividing in clonal culture, shown by following cell lineages by time-lapse analysis. In the adult brain, temporal changes also dominate NSC behavior, as they deplete during aging, contributing to memory impairment. Our work is aimed at understanding how NSC gene pathways and networks change over time in mice and human, to provide insight into fundamental neural developmental and aging mechanisms, and how they may lead to congenital defects and age-related neurodegenerative disease.