Steven Sloan, MD, PhD
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Assistant Professor, Department of Human Genetics, School of Medicine
Graduate Programs
- Full Member - Neuroscience
Education
MD, Stanford University, 2018PhD, Stanford University, 2016
BS, University of Miami, 2010
Contact Information
Email: sasloan@emory.edu
Phone: 404-727-7208
Address:
Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Room 377
615 Michael Street
Atlanta, GA 30322
Glia are the most abundant cell types in the mammalian nervous system. They are integral to normal brain physiology, yet we still understand very little about how they develop, what functions they perform, and how they are involved in disease. We understand even less about these cells in humans because of the lack of direct access to intact, functioning human brain tissue.
Our lab is using pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived non-invasively from skin samples to generate brain cells in the lab. Because the brain is a 3D structure and studying cells growing on a plate does not recapitulate its complexity, we are using human iPSCs to generate functional 3D structures that are patterned to mirror specific regions of the human brain. We can culture these 'brains-in-a-dish' for long periods of time to ask how normal brain development is occurring in a human system. Additionally, this method allows us to ask questions about how neurons and glia interact with each other in both healthy and diseased contexts, and to manipulate specific variables of brain development in an otherwise complex developmental system.
We are pursuing two big picture topics. First, how do human glia develop and what makes them unique? Secondly, given that glia play critical roles in helping neural circuit development, does abnormal glial development contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia? To answer these questions, we are using state-of-the-art genome engineering, sequencing, stem cell biology, imaging, and neurobiological approaches. Our hope is that by investigating the potential contribution of this previously overlooked group of cells in the nervous system, we may be able to decipher new mechanisms and therapeutic targets to advance human health.
Our lab is using pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived non-invasively from skin samples to generate brain cells in the lab. Because the brain is a 3D structure and studying cells growing on a plate does not recapitulate its complexity, we are using human iPSCs to generate functional 3D structures that are patterned to mirror specific regions of the human brain. We can culture these 'brains-in-a-dish' for long periods of time to ask how normal brain development is occurring in a human system. Additionally, this method allows us to ask questions about how neurons and glia interact with each other in both healthy and diseased contexts, and to manipulate specific variables of brain development in an otherwise complex developmental system.
We are pursuing two big picture topics. First, how do human glia develop and what makes them unique? Secondly, given that glia play critical roles in helping neural circuit development, does abnormal glial development contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and schizophrenia? To answer these questions, we are using state-of-the-art genome engineering, sequencing, stem cell biology, imaging, and neurobiological approaches. Our hope is that by investigating the potential contribution of this previously overlooked group of cells in the nervous system, we may be able to decipher new mechanisms and therapeutic targets to advance human health.
Atlanta Society of Mentors (ASOM), 2019
Diversity: Inclusion in the Modern Workplace, 2022
Emily Hill
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Entrance Year: 2019
Topic: Chromatin organization in reactive gliosis using human cortical organoids
Nardos Kebede (she/her)
Neuroscience
Entrance Year: 2022
Topic: Developmental Neuroscience
Uriel Rufen-Blanchette (she/her)
Neuroscience
Entrance Year: 2023
Samantha Lanjewar
Genetics and Molecular Biology
PhD, 2024
"IDENTIFYING DRIVERS OF HUMAN ASTROCYTE DEVELOPMENT"
Caitlin Sojka
Neuroscience
PhD, 2023
"Divergence from the human astrocyte developmental trajectory in glioblastoma"
