Paola Arlotta
Golub Family Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University
Chair, Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
Associate Member, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute

A broad overview and discussion session for scientists, students, and clinicians

Brain organoids are three-dimensional, long-term tissue culture models of the brain. They are designed to recapitulate as much of the cellular complexity, tissue architecture and local connectivity of the developing human cerebral cortex as possible. Our lab and others have been generating these from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and using them as a platform to study neural circuits affected by neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions. This talk will provide a brief introduction to the history of brain organoids, how an organoid is generated, what discoveries organoids have enabled so far and what big picture questions and challenges remain ahead.