Our studies focus on the development and function of interhemispheric connections of the mammalian brain, and we study animals and people with altered brain wiring.
Current Projects
Human Corpus Callosum Dysgenesis
Corpus Callosum Dysgenesis (CCD) is a brain developmental disorder that profoundly affects how the brain is wired. We work in partnership with people who have CCD to understand how this condition impacts their cognitive, social, and emotional function.
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Cellular and molecular mechanisms of early brain wiring
We are studying a family of transcription factors, nuclear factor one (Nfi), which play critical roles in early brain development. Children with mutations in Nfi genes display a variety of developmental disorders.
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Activity-dependent mechanisms of early brain wiring
We want to understand how the brain first switches on activity in ensembles of circuits, and how early pattered activity might mediate the formation of mature brain circuits related to brain function.
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You can watch a short video of Dr. Richards discussing the lab’s research here.