Balazs Varga, pdf - (varga<at>lunenfeld.ca)
The human brain consists of billions of cells, however its development starts from a few hundred neuroectodermal cells. In order to produce sufficient number of cells to create such a complex cellular and anatomical system, special cells are required. These special cells are multipotent neural cells. Multipotent neural cells have the capacity to produce all the necessary cell types. Through the integration of signals in time and space coming from the environment, the cells can execute a series of changes that results in the production of the instructed cell type.
I am interested in understanding the establishment and maintenance of the gene regulatory network of the multipotent neural cells. This regulatory circuit is responsible for preserving the capacity of the cell to respond to instructive signals that allow specification and commitment of the cells.
Previously I investigated the establishment of various developmental neural cell states during the in vitro differentiation of neurectoderm-derived cells. These cells support the generation of several but not all neuronal subtypes when differentiated in vitro in the absence additional extracellular signal molecules. In the Nagy lab I am focusing on the use of pluripotent stem cells to generate multipotent neural cells and neural progenitors with restricted developmental potential.