TN2 Symposium: Causality through the lens of ageing

Steven Sloan, MD, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Human Genetics at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Sloan is a member of the Cell and Molecular Biology Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute. Dr. Sloan’s laboratory team is interested in understanding human astrocyte development and what mechanisms underlie astrocyte maturation. They have a great interest in glioblastoma because it represents a pathological model of abnormal astrocyte development. They are attempting to find synthetic drivers of astrocyte maturation during development and believe that we could apply these approaches to glioblastomas as potential therapeutic interventions.

Organoid-based approaches to investigate human neural development and function 
Understanding human neurodevelopment requires model systems that capture uniquely human features of neural lineage progression and circuit assembly. We use a combination of human organoid models and primary fetal tissue to define the timing, triggers, and trajectory of neural cell fate decisions in the developing human brain. We have particular interest in using in vitro models to understand both fundamental principles of neurobiology, as well as disease modeling of both rare and common neurodevelopmental disorders. We also are pursuing new avenues to introduce further sophistication to brain organoid models and to combine this in vitro platform with other modalities such as 3D bioprinting and microfluidics for the purpose of building tissues with even further fidelity to the in vivo setting.