Stem Cells for Basic and Translational Neuroscience Research

Dr. Wenbin Deng, PhD Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis Date:Monday, June 15, 2015 Time: 12 noon to 1:15pm Location: Hunter College The West Building, Room 511 For further details, contact: Nadia Davis This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (212) 413-3305

The central nervous system (CNS) has 2 major cell types: neurons and glia. Our view about how the CNS works has been traditionally neuro-centric, even though glial cells significantly outnumber neurons. Emerging evidence indicates that glial cells are critical for many normal and disease processes in the CNS. Using animal models (genetically-modified or surgically- or chemically-induced disease models), human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and iPSC-based models of CNS disorders, my lab conducts research on neuron-glia interactions and CNS disorders. In my talk, I will discuss our recent results on (1) neuron-glia communications and excitotoxic, oxidative or inflammatory mechanisms of CNS injury; (2) stem cell differentiation toward neuronal and glial lineages for CNS regeneration, nano-medicine and drug discovery studies; and (3) relevance to translational science in the neurologic/brain disorder therapeutic area.