Research Projects

Projects are available for talented Honours and PhD students. Please contact Julian Heng for more details.

Current Projects The role of transcription factors during nerve cell maturation Identification/characterisation of genes important to brain development The development and specification of different types of nerve cells Characterisation of mouse models of human neurological disorders Click here to download a copy of current research projects.

Control of nerve cell production by transcription factors

The development of the cerebral cortex involves many steps, including nerve cell production, cell migration and final maturation of correctly-positioned neurons within fetal brain.  We have discovered that Neurogenin2, a master regulator for neuron production in the cerebral cortex, initiates a proneural transcription factor cascade which is necessary for the generation of excitatory projection neurons of the developing cerebral cortex. 

This project will explore the functional interaction(s) between transcription factors which are downstream of Neurogenin2, and how they impart the necessary information for proper cortical neuron differentiation. In addition, we are interested in identifying the downstream target genes for proneural transcription factors such as Neurogenin2 and to understand how these are important for controlling aspects of nerve cell maturation, including their proper migration and final connectivity. 

The molecular basis of nerve cell migration during their maturation   

During fetal brain development, neurons must undergo active cell migration to reach their proper position within developing brain.  Failure to carry out this critical function within immature neurons can lead to aberrant brain development, mental retardation and epilepsy. 

Recent reports have underscored the importance of a highly regulated gene expression program for the correct production of migration-promoting factors to control this important developmental process in newborn neurons. 

Through our knowledge of the requirement for Neurogenin2 in the specification of the motile-properties of neurons, we are seeking to identify further genetic factors that predetermine the migratory capacity of these neurons as part of their cell-intrinsic programming.  It is anticipated that we may be able to use this knowledge to direct the migration of newborn nerve cells to sites of injury within damaged brain.

Do complex brain disorders arise from abnormal brain development?

Neurological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia are prevalent in our community, and yet we know little of how genes (as well as the environment) may be important for the pathogenesis of these conditions. By focusing on clinically-relevant gene(s) that are known to be important for diseases such as autism, we aim to better understand their impact on the early steps brain development. This project will characterise a novel mouse model of autism, with investigations on how the candidate gene controls nerve cell maturation, connectivity and brain behaviour.