Areas of Interest
The evolution of the cerebral cortex is thought to underlie the human brain’s most remarkable cognitive, perceptive, and motor capabilities. Miswiring of cortical circuitry during development can lead to disorders, including autism and schizophrenia, that affect the most distinctly human cognitive functions.

The Kwan laboratory focuses on examining the fundamental and pathogenic mechanisms that can have in vivo consequences for neural circuit development and function. They aim to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie normal neural circuit assembly in the cerebral cortex, and the role circuit dysregulation plays in human neurodevelopmental disorders, in particular autism spectrum disorder, fragile X syndrome, and schizophrenia.

The lab’s overarching research goals are: 1) to understand the mechanisms by which neural progenitor cells give rise to diverse repertoires of cortical neuronal subtypes; and 2) to understand the mechanisms that ultimately wire cortical neurons into functional neural circuits. An integrative approach is used, combining mouse genetics, functional genomics, molecular biology and circuit neurobiology.