LSI Seminar Series
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM | April 13, 2023

LSI Seminar Series: Minoree Kohwi, Ph.D., Columbia University, Zuckerman Institute Mind Brain Behavior

Hybrid: Forum Hall, Palmer Commons (in-person), and Zoom
Audience This is a public event.

Nuclear architecture and its role in generating neural diversity 

Neural progenitor cells in both mammals and insects transit through multiple states of competence to produce diverse neural cell types, losing the ability to generate early-born neurons while gaining competence to generate later-born ones. How is competence regulated to ensure the development of a highly organized structure like the brain? Using Drosophila, we find that neuroblasts (fly neural progenitors) undergo a developmentally-timed reorganization of their genome that impacts competence to activate genes in the descendent neurons. Here I will discuss mechanisms of neuroblast genome reorganization and the role of nuclear proteins in competence regulation underlying neural diversification. 

Speaker

Minoree Kohwi
Minoree Kohwi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Neuroscience
Columbia University, Zuckerman Institute Mind Brain Behavior

Undergrad: Caltech; Ph.D.: UCSF, Programs in Neuroscience, studying adult neurogenesis with Arturo Alvarez-Buylla; Postdoc: University of Oregon, studying regulation of neuroblast progenitor competence with Chris Doe 

Current Research at Columbia: Our lab investigates how diverse brain cells are generated by delving into the dynamic organization of the genome within neural progenitors.  

Hosts

U-M Life Sciences Institute
Faculty Host: Cheng-Yu Lee, Ph.D.