Dr. Jiami Guo
Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy
PI: Prof. Baohua Liu
November 29, 2024
12 to 1 PM
IB 140 & Zoom
Member of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Child Health & Wellness Researcher for Alberta's Children's Hospital Research Institute
Title: Primary cilia, underappreciated signaling sensors in the brain
Abstract: Long considered as evolutionary remnants of little significance, primary cilia in the past decade have sparked enormous interest, fueled by the discoveries that mutations in 150+ ciliary genes lead to 30+ human disorders collectively termed “ciliopathies”. The brain is particularly vulnerable to ciliary dysfunction as reflected by the prominent brain anomalies and neurological deficits associated with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder found in ciliopathy patients. Nevertheless, due to the lack of mechanistic insights, how primary cilia can exert such a profound impact on brain development remains a long-standing mystery. How do primary cilia, only a few mm long protrusions from the cell soma, exert such a profound impact in the brain? My research program is dedicated to solving this mystery. My team is incorporating recent advances across a wide range of disciplines based in molecular genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, live imaging, neuroscience, and translational pharmacology to peel back the layers of this mystery from gene→cell→circuit→behavior→therapeutics. By assembling a holistic view of how primary cilia convey environmental signals to impact brain development and function, our work will not only uncover an undefined cellular pathway fundamental for neural circuit construction and malformation, but also advance our understandings on how genetic and environmental insults interact to contribute to the etiology of neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders.
Research Background: Dr. Guo completed her BS degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Jilin University, China. She completed her postdoctoral training with Dr. Eva Anton at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.Dr. Guo's research aims to understand how neural circuits are constructed in development and disease, focusing on the primary cilium, a critical signaling structure in cells. The goal of her research is to uncover key mechanisms involved in neural circuit formation and to enhance understanding of the genetic and environmental factors contributing to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Visit the Guo Lab Website to learn about Jiami and her reserarch!