Collaboration: NAMs to advance biomedical research

Our group (Human Brain Disease Modelling) is uniquely positioned to contribute to the development and implementation of NAMs to advance biomedical research in neurological disorders. We focus on generating physiologically relevant human-based models by using patients' hiPSC cells that capture key cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying brain diseases. By leveraging patient-derived brain cells in 2D and 3D culture systems, including midbrain and intestinal organoids, we can more faithfully replicate disease-specific pathophysiological conditions than traditional animal models.

We have a particular expertise in studying glial non-cell-autonomous mechanisms and their contributions to neurodegeneration. Using cutting-edge single-cell and high-resolution imaging technologies, integrated with bioinformatics analyses, we aim to uncover the pathways and molecular targets driving pathological glial phenotypes.

Through these approaches, our group can directly contribute to the NAMs initiative by: Providing advanced human-relevant models for mechanistic studies of neurological disease.

1. Offering platforms for preclinical testing of drugs and biomolecules with high translational relevance.

2. Investigating disease-modified mechanisms to inform both safety and efficacy assessments.

3. Generating high-dimensional datasets that support predictive models of human brain disease progression and drug response.

Our expertise in combining organoid biology, microfluidic technologies, and multi-omics analyses positions us to advance NAMs that reduce reliance on animal models while accelerating translational insights for neurological disorders.