The focus of my research over the past few years has been the question how stem cell technology can be harnessed to understand the function and dysfunction of neural circuits that control motor behaviour, and how stem cell-derived tissue can be used to regenerate neuromuscular circuits in adult mammalian animal models and, ultimately, in human patients. To this end, my group is undertaking projects aimed at i) assembling neuromuscular circuits from stem cell-derived, defined cell populations to study normal neural development and degenerative disease processes in vitro and ii) restoring motor function affected by spinal cord injury or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis with human pluripotent stem cell-based neural graft.

PhD Students

Peter Harley
Aimee Cheesbrough
Federica Riccio
Sofia Syntaka