معرفی
Paola Arlotta is the Golub Family Professor and Chair of the Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. She is a principal faculty member at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, an Institute Member at the Broad Institute, and an Associate Member of the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research. Her career spans groundbreaking work in cortical development and regenerative neuroscience.
Education:
- M.S. in Biochemistry from the University of Trieste, Italy
- Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Portsmouth, UK
- Postdoctoral training in Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School
Dr. Arlotta’s research focuses on defining molecular pathways that govern the differentiation of neural progenitors into cortical projection neurons, with a special interest in corticospinal neurons linked to ALS and spinal cord injury. Her lab bridges developmental neuroscience with stem cell engineering to study human-specific cortical development using 3D organoid models, aiming to uncover mechanisms of neurodevelopmental diseases.
Scientific Contributions:
- 2024: Discovery of individual susceptibility to neurotoxicity in brain chimeroids
- 2024: Microglia’s role in fetal brain inflammation response
- 2022: Autism risk genes affect asynchronous neuron class development
- 2019: Reproducible generation of human cortical diversity in organoids
Scientific Awards:
- Elected to the National Academy of Medicine for pioneering brain organoid research
Her lab employs advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing, FIN-seq for frozen tissue analysis, and in utero electroporation. She also explores neuronal reprogramming and myelin dynamics across axons, contributing to understanding cortical circuit assembly and repair.
