Understanding The Human Brain in Health and Disease through Molecular and Cellular Methods

In its second iteration, this conference seeks to bring together a multidisciplinary group of geneticists, molecular biologists, neuroscientists, computational experts, and stem cell biologists endeavoring to improve diagnostics, prognostics, and treatment of brain disease. The conference will explore (1) emerging molecular mechanisms in brain development and responses, (2) recent efforts in atlases and other resources to enhance knowledge generation (3) advances in linking genetics to brain function; (4) new insights into human brain development and disordersobtained through investigations that span across scales; and (5) progress towards novel therapeutic targets and interventions, including regulatory and ethical aspects. Whereas large-scale genomic studies are uncovering the complex genetic architecture of gene regulation and disease risk, the causal cellular mechanisms of disease risk and progression remain unclear. While the generation of patient-specific neurons, glia, and organoids facilitate the study of human brain development, CRISPR-based engineering approaches facilitate single or genome-wide perturbations in DNA sequence or epigenetic activity; their integration makes it possible to investigate the molecular mechanisms of disease-associated variations. Together, these approaches translate the myriad advances from large-scale genetic studies into clinically actionable information. This GRC will contribute to improving our understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in regulating human brain development in health and disease The main goal is to bring together communities with synergistic approaches, from large-scale genomic studies uncovering the complex genetic architecture of gene regulation and disease risk to cellular and molecular modeling through stem cell differentiation, organoids, screens, and transcriptomics to investigate the molecular mechanisms of disease-associated variations. This GRC will contribute to improving our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in regulating human brain development in health and disease.