Research

We study how the human brain develops. To this end we use human cerebral organoids, or simply brain organoids, a cell culture model of the developing human brain to understand the rules underlying this remarkable process. We are particularly interested in brain size control and how the billions of neurons in our brain are generated in a controlled manner. How does the brain ensure its correct size, cell number and functionality?

To answer these questions, we use a variety of techniques, including stem cell technologies, genetics, loss-of-functions screens, next generation sequencing technologies, imaging approaches and theoretical models.