Brain Epigenomics - Research Unit

Improving diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders using genomics and AI.

Neurological disorders affect nearly one in six people worldwide and are the leading cause of disability, yet for most of them, we cannot diagnose early or treat the root cause. A major reason is that the vast majority of disease-associated genetic variants lie in the non-coding genome - the 98% of DNA that does not encode proteins - where their functional impact is almost entirely unknown.

The Brain Epigenomics Research Unit tackles this gap. We study how the epigenome - the layers of chromatin modifications, 3D nuclear architecture, and cis-regulatory elements that control gene expression - establishes neuronal identity during brain development, how it has been rewired during primate brain evolution, and how its disruption drives neurological disease. Our goal is to identify epigenetic and genetic targets that can be used for early diagnosis and targeted therapy.

Our research is organized around two pillars.

Pillar A: Fundamental Understanding of Brain Development and Evolution uses single-cell multi-omics, massively parallel reporter assays (MPRA), and CRISPR-based genome engineering to map and functionally validate the regulatory landscape of the brain across species.

Pillar B: Epigenome-based Diagnostics and Gene Therapies translates these insights into clinical applications through industry partnerships and close academic collaborations.