Elucidating the cellular and molecular divergence of the human cerebellum
| Title | Elucidating the cellular and molecular divergence of the human cerebellum |
|---|---|
| Acronym | hCerebEvol |
| Website | https://www.ibdm.univ-amu.fr/team/human-neuronal-evolution/ |
| Start date | 2025-01-01 |
| End date | 2029-12-31 |
| Sponsor | European Research Council - Starting Grant (ERC-StG) |
| Institution | CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS- Délégation Provence et Corse) |
Associated cell lines
Project Description
Speciation involves the emergence of new behavioural features that rely on the evolution of neural circuits. The human species displays higher cognitive features which have been linked in part to the evolution of the cerebral cortex. But the involvement of the other brain regions, such as the cerebellum, remains largely unexplored despite its association with both higher cognitive functions and cognitive disorders. Moreover, the human cerebellum displays divergent features compared to other species, at the anatomical, functional, and behavioural levels. Yet, the properties of human cerebellar cells and circuits have not been compared with those of other species. This knowledge gap hinders our understanding of human brain evolution. My project aims to identify and functionally study the role of human genomic novelties (compared to other species) on cerebellum development and function, focusing on neuronal and circuit levels. One approach to tackle this question will be the usage of cerebellar neurons differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells combined with loss-of-function experiments. Together, this project will uncover entirely new aspects of human cerebellar evolution that will improve our understanding of human brain evolution, and may lead to the identification of human species-specific sensitivity to brain disorders.