Biology

Dr. Achira Roy
Seattle Children\'s Research Institute

Mammalian brain development involves complicated cell morphogenesis and highly regulated interactions between transcription factors and signaling molecules. Disruption of these interactions often leads to severe developmental disorders. With this idea as background, I will present my work in two parts, transitioning from the field of basic developmental neuroscience to translational biomedical research:

1.  Crucial role of transcription factor Lhx2 in patterning the forebrain midline

2.  Identification of cellular mechanisms and acute treatments behind severe brain overgrowth, dysplasia and epilepsy, caused by strongly activating mutations in the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, most commonly found in cancer.