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Biological Sciences

FACULTY RESEARCH: Wei Niu

Wei Niu, Ph.D.

Wei NiuAssistant Professor

Office: BO 3090A
Phone No: 419.530.2824
Email: wei.niu@utoledo.edu
Lab website: https://niulab.weebly.com/

Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin
M.S. Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Botany
B.S. Shandong Normal University, China

Research

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common and complex human brain disorders. Although our knowledge of the genetic mutations associated with ASD has advanced through the next generation sequencing (NGS), it remains poorly understood how a specific gene variant leads to ASD. Our lab employs stem cells, CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing, and human brain organoid models for testing gene variants that are highly associated with ASD. Our research fills a critical need to develop specific mechanistic-based therapeutic strategies to treat this brain disorder.

Two main focuses of our lab are:

  1. Investigate how the autism risk gene POGZ regulates human cortical development. POGZ is one of the genes most commonly associated with recurrent de novo variants in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). However, the precise function of POGZ in human cortical development and the underlying mechanisms leading to autism remain unclear. We aim to understand how POGZ regulates both lineage progression and migration of young neurons during early human cortical development and synaptogenesis.
  2. Determine the disease mechanisms of the human neuronal disorder Protocadherin-19 (PCDH19)-Clustering Epilepsy (PCE). PCE is characterized by early onset seizures, autism and cognitive impairment. PCE exclusively affects females and mosaic males while male carriers are spared. In collaboration with Dr. Jack Parent at University of Michigan, we developed unique human brain organoid models that can robustly recapitulate PCE phenotypes in vitro. We aim to explore potential therapeutic strategies for PCE based upon understanding the function of PCDH19 in early cortical development

Recent Publications:

Last Updated: 9/14/23