PouLab postdoc Cheryl Brandenburg was awarded a 2021 Autism Research Institute (ARI) grant for her work on “Cerebellar Circuits in 3D: Screening autism-associated genes in cleared brains with in utero CRISPR genome editing“. Congratulations Cheryl!!! Here is just a snippet of the mind-bending 3D cerebellar circuits from Cheryl’s in vivo edited Purkinje cells…!
Ryan’s article on advancing scientific excellence through inclusivity at the NIH BRAIN Initiative is out in Neuron!
Lab alum, Ryan R. Richardson, now a AAAS STP fellow at the NIH BRAIN Initiative, together with colleagues deputy Director Andrea C. Beckel-Mitchener, Director John Ngai, and program Director Devon C. Crawford, published a paper today in Neuron, outlining how BRAIN’s mission for scientific excellence is empowered by tapping into the full spectrum of diverse talents and perspectives. We’re grateful for your work in advancing opportunities and excelling innovative neuroscience research through inclusion and diversity!
Corinne Martin joins the team as the lab’s first Nathan Schnaper Intern!
Corinne Martin, a rising sophomore majoring in Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, joined the lab as part of the Nathan Schnaper Intern Program in Translational Cancer Research (NSIP).
Corinne is working on the genetic intersections between neoplasia and brain development, mining patient genome databases and using in vivo genome editing to probe effects on brain circuit development.
Getting creative to keep science strong in the pandemic
Noury Khim, unflinching scientist vs. the pandemic! Taking on the hurdles of social distancing, Noury live streams a procedure from a head mounted phone to train the lab’s incoming graduate students. To research and teach against all odds, you gotta be strong… #ScienceWomanStrong
Lab Welcomes Newest PhD Student, Colin Robertson!
Colin Robertson comes to us from the Program in Neuroscience, with a particular interest in synapse pruning and circuit maturation. From day one, Colin (on the left) fit right in…! More soon on the exciting new science he’s after!
Lab gets a new postdoc, welcome Dr. Cheryl Brandenburg!
Cheryl Brandenburg comes to us from the Hussman Institute, and brings with her a PhD in Neuroscience, a knack for cerebellar circuits, and a passion for autism research! We’re excited to see where she takes her science next…!
Congrats to Bek and Alex for Postdoctoral Fellow Excellence in Mentorship and Teacher of the Year Awards!
Bek Altas and Alex Poulopoulos were Awarded by the Graduate School of Life Sciences with the 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow Excellence in Mentorship Award and Teacher of the Year Award, a lab dynamic duo in mentorship!!!
Congratulations to PIN postdoctoral fellow Dr. Bekir Altas for winning the Postdoctoral Fellow Excellence in Mentorship Award for an outstanding record of supportive mentorship to PIN and GPILS trainees! pic.twitter.com/RJNx37O9lJ
— Univ of Maryland School of Medicine Neuroscience (@UMMedNeuro) October 26, 2020
Congrats to Ryan for joining NIH BRAIN Initiative as a AAAS Fellow!
Ryan Richardson, the lab’s first postdoc, has joined the NIH Office of the Director, BRAIN Initiative with a prestigious AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship! Congratulations Ryan, we’re proud of you!!!
Read the press release of Ryan’s award:
UM School of Medicine Postdoctoral Fellow Awarded Prestigious AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship
Congrats to Ryan and co. for “Cas9 fusions for precision in vivo editing” out on the bioRxiv!
The lab’s first pub is a nifty piece of synth bio for genome editing the brain. Richardson et al. describe a platform to test and develop new high-precision genome editing reagents. Some of our new CRISPR fusions, like eRad18-Cas9-CtIP with linear donors, showed up to 45-times higher accuracy at point-mutation editing compared to vanilla CRISPR. Another step toward direct in vivo knockin and in situ gene therapy approaches!
