Glia comprise at least half of the cells in the adult central nervous system (CNS) where they serve as essential regulators of most functions including development, synapse formation, neuronal survival, and disease. Glial cell dysfunction has been implicated in an array of neurological disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and brain malignancies. Yet our understanding of the development of glial cells and their functions remains to be fully explored.

The laboratory is interested in dissecting the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms controlling glial cell specification during CNS development and during glioma formation. Understanding how gene regulation is coordinated through chromatin conformations, long-range enhancer interactions, and site-specific transcription factors to influence biological phenomena remains a fundamental question that has critical implications for development, physiology, and disease. We are focused on exploring these relationships and how these processes intersect with glioma tumorigenesis.