The cerebral cortex is one of the most complex and important structures in our brain. The mechanisms of formation of the cortex
have direct relevance to several diseases, such as epilepsy and mental disorders, as well as for the development of rationally
designed cell therapies for neurological conditions. Our major goal is to understand better the genetic mechanisms controlling the
development of the cerebral cortex, from stem cells to neuronal networks. Our main experimental model is the mouse, where we combine
molecular and cellular approaches to study cortical development, both in vivo (using mouse transgenesis and in utero
electroporation) and in vitro (using organotypic assays). In other projects centered on human cortex development we try to identify genes that
underly the development and evolution of human-specific features in our brain. Finally, using mouse and human embryonic stem (ES)
cells, we are developing methods to produce specific types of cortical neurons, and to generate in vitro models of human neuronal
diseases.