Stem cells and neural circuit engineering
The main focus of my research are the questions of how pluripotent stem cell technology can be harnessed to understand the function and dysfunction of neural circuits which control motor behaviour, and how stem cell-derived tissue can be used to regenerate neuromuscular circuits in adult mammalian animal models and, ultimately, in human patients. To this end, my group embarked on projects aimed at i) assembling neuromuscular circuits from stem cell-derived, defined cell populations to study normal development and degenerative disease processes in vitro and ii) restoring muscle function affected by neuromuscular disease with a new type of stem cell-based optogenetic pacemaker device.
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