The Institute recently welcomed a new Faculty member who focuses on the role of adult neural stem cells in hippocampus-dependent brain functions and disease.
Hoonkyo Suh, PhD, Department of Stem
Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, studies how adult neural stem cells
contribute to hippocampal functions such as cognition and emotion. It has
been a dogma that adult mammalian brains have little or no capacity to generate
new neurons, but there is a plethora of evidence that neural stem cells exist
and continuously produce new neurons in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.
Although adult neurogenesis has been implicated in the formation of new memories,
acquisition of new skills and emotional control, the functional relevance
of adult neurogenesis to cognition and emotion is not clearly understood.
Dr. Suh plans to dissect out the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing
adult neurogenesis and determine the role of adult neural stem cells in normal
physiology and neurodegenerative pathology by using genetically manipulated
animal models and virus-mediated gene transfer. Dr. Suh's research will not
only contribute to understanding the physiological role of adult neurogenesis,
but also provide the essential knowledge to develop neural stem cell-mediated
therapy to intervene and cure brain diseases. He previously worked in the
Laboratory of Genetics at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La
Jolla, CA.