PI: Woo-Yang Kim, PhD
Title: Functional characterization of learning disorder candidate genes in hippocampal development
Grant Agency: COBRE
Award:$222750
Emerging evidence from fMRI and histological studies shows that people with learning disabilities have functional and anatomical hypo-connectivity and neuronal mis-positioning in the brain. This has created a model in the field that dysfunctional connectivity during brain development may cause learning disabilities. However, the cellular and genetic basis of dysfunctional connectivity remains poorly understood. Recent studies using association, linkage, and gene expression analyses have introduced a genetic basis for disorders associated with learning disabilities, including dyslexia and autism spectrum disorders. Multiple susceptibility genes have been identified. However, there is little information on whether the susceptibility genes functionally contribute to the pathogenesis of learning disabilities. In this proposal, we will seek to establish the functional relevance of learning disorder-associated genes by examining their roles in neuronal migration and dendritic development in the mammalian hippocampus using a wide array of technologies. Our goal is to improve the understanding of the mechanisms underlying learning disabilities such as dyslexia and autism spectrum disorders where neural positioning and connectivity are disrupted.
