Edwin Monuki, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
University of California, Irvine
D440 Medical Sciences I
Irvine, CA 92697-4800

Lab Tel: (949) 824-9604
Fax: (949) 824-2160
Email: emonuki@uci.edu
Website: Lab Homepage

Cerebral cortex development, disease and evolution - Neural Stem Cell Fate and Border Control in the Developing Forebrain - During mammalian forebrain development, neural stem cells (NSCs) adopt a number of unique cell fates. Two of these are the choroid plexus, the source of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the cerebral cortex, the seat of our higher cognitive and neurologic functions. The mechanisms used to make cortical and choroid plexus cells and their borders remain fundamental questions in neuroscience. Moreover, when these structures form improperly, common disorders such as hydrocephalus, mental retardation, and epilepsy too often ensue. The goal of our lab is to understand how these forebrain cell types are formed and separated, then apply this information to human disorders and NSC culture strategies aimed at potential cell-based therapies. Current studies focus on the roles of morphogens and transcription factors in early NSC fate control and boundary formation. Approaches used in the lab include mouse genetics, mouse models of human disease, in utero electroporation, explants, and traditional cell cultures of mouse and human NSCs. In collaboration with other UCI labs, we are also developing mathematical models of early forebrain development and have developed novel bioengineering tools to study NSC responses to microfluidic morphogen gradients, to mechanical tension, and to dielectrophoresis.

Recent Publications