Research summary
Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons form in the brain. Although most neurogenesis in the human brain happens before birth, neurons can continue to be produced afterward in certain areas of the brain.
Dr. Armen Saghatelyan, Canada Research Chair in Postnatal Neurogenesis, is studying the dynamics and mechanisms that regulate neuronal development in the rodent brain to better understand the alterations behind human neurodevelopmental disorders. To do this, he and his research team are using time-lapse imaging of human progenitor cells grafted into the brains of immunodeficient mice. By better understanding the mechanisms that orchestrate neural stem cell activation, neuroblast migration or integration, and their roles in neuronal networks, Saghatelyan and his team hope to generate the knowledge needed to develop new strategies to boost neuronal regeneration.