Brain Development

How the capability to learn, remember, and interact
forms in the developing brain.

As the fish brain develops from the larvae to adult stage, new behavioral capabilities emerge. We aim to determine the molecular and cellular drivers of this transition. Our lab has several zebrafish lines mutant for genes that cause rare neurodevelopmental disorders in humans, including autism and intellectual disability. These genetic lines with disrupted social interaction or learning will help define the critical underpinnings of these behaviors.