Current Methods in Neurogenesis Research

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Dr. Joseph Wai-Hin Leung

The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Dr. Leung’s research interests focus on neurogenesis and neurodevelopment, with a particular interest in the relationship between impaired neurogenesis and various neurological disorders. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Hong Kong (HKU), followed by postdoctoral training in the Departments of Surgery and Physiology at the University of Toronto (U of T). He later joined the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa (uOttawa) as a postdoctoral fellow, where his research examined the effects of the environmental pollutant methylmercury on early neurodevelopment and its potential link to the late onset of neurological diseases. Currently, at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Dr. Leung is focused on advanced spatial transcriptomic technologies, including 10x Genomics’ Xenium and Visium HD platforms.

Benson Wui-Man Lau

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

After completing his undergraduate degree in occupational therapy, Dr. Lau further pursued his postgraduate studies in the field of neuroanatomy. During his research training, he found a particular interest in the biological basis of behavior. After obtaining the PhD degree, Dr. Lau continued his research in neuroscience. Dr. Lau's primary research interest is translational research in rehabilitation sciences, in particular, the involvement of the central nervous system and biological mechanism (e.g. adult neurogenesis, inflammation) in psychiatric disorders and rehabilitation treatments. For instance, the roles of adult neurogenesis in depressive disorder and the efficacy of different treatments are studied in animal models, which suggest possible mechanisms related to mental health. The long-term goal of Dr. Lau’s studies is to develop rehabilitation treatment options or refine existing ones that are effective, affordable, and accessible for individuals affected by these disorders. By using different animal models, the mechanisms of rehabilitation treatment methods, psychiatric diseases, and neurological disorders may be revealed, and new treatment targets can be explored by his benchwork. Currently, environmental factors, social factors, sensory stimulations, and other non-invasive rehabilitation treatment methods are being studied by his team. Dr. Lau also has a broad general research interest in behavioral neuroscience and complementary and alternative medicine practice. He welcomes research collaboration and interdisciplinary efforts for solving research questions/problems of health-related issues, in particular mental health.

Collection Overview

Neurogenesis refers to the process by which functional new neurons are generated from neural stem cells (NSCs) or neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Defective neurogenesis in both embryos and adults were found to be linked to different neurological illnesses, but interestingly, studies have shown that reversing neurogenesis impairment could improve neurological outcomes in pathological conditions. Neurogenesis is therefore worth investigation, especially for its underlying mechanisms regulating the pathogenesis of different neurological disorders. Current research in neurogenesis focuses on studying the factors and underlying mechanisms which determine the cell fates of NSCs and understanding the roles of neurogenesis in different pathological conditions, as well as investigating the potential for correcting neurogenesis impairment as a therapeutic approach to treat different neurological diseases.

This Methods Collection aims to advance neurogenesis research by highlighting in vitro methods, such as isolation of NSCs and NSC culture, three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models (organoid), and advanced techniques in studying the proliferation, differentiation, and migration of NSCs. Furthermore, it will investigate in vivo methods, such as advanced techniques in labeling, tracing NSC cell fate (e.g., transgenic mouse models), different imaging techniques for the study of neurogenesis, high-throughput methods in neurogenesis research (e.g., single cell sequencing, transcriptomic and proteomic), and novel neurobehavioral methods related to the study of neurogenesis.