Speakers
Training
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have transformed neuroscience by enabling the generation of patient-specific neural cells and, more recently, 3D live neural tissue. These models offer a unique opportunity to study human neurodevelopment and disease in a genetically relevant and ethically viable context. Compared to invertebrate and vertebrate animal models, iPSCs provide direct access to human cellular phenotypes and developmental trajectories. They allow for the investigation of disease mechanisms in a patient-specific manner and support high-resolution molecular analyses. However, they also present limitations, including variability between lines, incomplete maturation, and the absence of full brain circuitry and systemic interactions.
In this talk, I will discuss the advantages and drawbacks of iPSC-based models in neuroscience, and how they complement traditional animal systems. I will then present examples from our research using iPSC-derived neural cells to explore mechanisms of neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration.
This approach highlights the potential of iPSCs to advance our understanding of human brain biology and inform therapeutic development.
As a neuroscientist and stem cell biologist, I am a Associate Professor in Stem Cells and Neurobiology, Principal Investigator, linking my basic research to industry and clinical needs, as well as integrated PhD programme lead, MRC DTP deputy lead and Doctoral Programme Lead.
Having graduated in Biology from the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France, I completed my PhD in Neurosciences at the University of Paris VI, France, working on intracellular signalling pathways during neuronal apoptosis I then moved on as postdoctoral fellow in Professor Derek van der Kooy’s team in Toronto, Canada, working on neural stem cells during development, in the adult brain and in different pathological conditions, before joining Southampton.