Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Location: 46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium)

Speaker: X. Shawn Liu, PhD
Affiliation: Joan and Paul Marks, MD '49 Assistant Professor, Columbia University, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics

Host: Dr. Rudolf Jaenisch

Talk title: Decoding the Epigenome in Brain Function and Disorders

Abstract: Epigenetics is a fundamental mechanism enabling our genome to integrate nature and nurture. It plays a critical role during brain development and perturbations of this mechanism can result in numerous brain disorders. Our laboratory aims to decode the epigenome to understand how genetic information is read in normal physiology and manipulated in diseases. We have developed a series of epigenome editing tools to help dissect the functional significance of epigenetic events. We are combining these molecular tools with genetic and genomic approaches to explore epigenetic mechanisms underlying normal brain functions, and to uncover the epigenetic basis of diseases to accelerate the development of therapeutics. We mainly use human ESC- or iPSC-based system and genetically engineered mouse models to tackle these questions. One of our recent projects revealed the function of DNA methylation in fear memory engram in the basolateral amygdala. Another project demonstrated a methylation editing-based strategy for the treatment of ALS/FTD caused by GGGGCC repeat expansion.