Xianhua Piao, MD, PhD

During development, cells of the brain execute an astonishingly intricate choreographed process that culminates in the precise localization of neurons wired in functional networked circuitry. After the formation and wiring completed, various cells continue to dialogue to maintain normal brain function. Errors in such interactions contribute to neurodevelopmental conditions including autism, schizophrenia, and cerebral palsy as well as neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimer’s disease. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these dynamic interactions remain largely unknown. The Piao Lab seeks to understand how cells in the brain communicate with each other and with the extracellular matrix (ECM) during development and brain homeostasis and how perturbation of the communications leads to neurological disorders. Our current ongoing projects are centered on:

1. Central Nervous System (CNS) Myelination
2. Neuro-immune interplays during interneuron development 
3. The impact of maternal immune activation on brain development 
4. Molecular mechanisms underlying microglia-mediated synaptic pruning 
5. Glial-glial and glial-neuronal interactions in Alzheimer’s disease