Our laboratory investigates the genetic and molecular mechanisms governing neuronal cell development in the cerebellum and mid-hindbrain regions. We focus on understanding how transcription factors and cytoskeletal regulators coordinate the formation of dendritic arbors in Purkinje cells, the principal neurons of the cerebellum, and how disruption of these processes contributes to motor and cognitive disorders.
我們的實驗室研究調控小腦及中腦後腦區域神經元細胞發育的遺傳和分子機制。我們專注於了解轉錄因子和細胞骨架調節因子如何協調浦肯野細胞（小腦的主要神經元）樹突分支的形成，以及這些過程的破壞如何導致運動和認知障礙。
Representative Publications
代表性論文
- Lui NC, Tam WY, et al. (Nature Communications, 2017): Revealed that Lhx1/5 transcription factors control Purkinje cell dendritogenesis and spine morphogenesis via regulation of Espin.
- Lui NC, Tam WY 等（Nature Communications, 2017）：揭示 Lhx1/5 轉錄因子通過調控 Espin 控制浦肯野細胞樹突發生和棘突形態發生。
- Zhao Y, Kwan KM, et al. (PNAS, 2007): Demonstrated that LIM-homeodomain proteins Lhx1 and Lhx5 control Purkinje cell differentiation during cerebellar development.
- Zhao Y, Kwan KM 等（PNAS, 2007）：證明 LIM-同源結構域蛋白 Lhx1 和 Lhx5 控制小腦發育過程中浦肯野細胞的分化。
- Dong X, Kwan KM (Molecular Brain, 2020): Showed that Yin Yang 1 is critical for mid-hindbrain neuroepithelium development and involved in cerebellar agenesis.
- Dong X, Kwan KM（Molecular Brain, 2020）：顯示 Yin Yang 1 對中後腦神經上皮發育至關重要，並與小腦發育不全有關。
- Tam WY, et al. (Neuroscience, 2011): Found that Foxp4 is essential for maintaining Purkinje cell dendritic arborization in the cerebellum.
- Tam WY 等（Neuroscience, 2011）：發現 Foxp4 對維持小腦浦肯野細胞樹突分支至關重要。
- Ma SY, Kwan KM (Behavioural Brain Research, 2022): Investigated size anomaly and GABAergic enzyme alterations in the cerebellum of a valproic acid mouse model of autism.
- Ma SY, Kwan KM（Behavioural Brain Research, 2022）：研究丙戊酸自閉症小鼠模型中小腦的大小異常和 GABA 能酶改變。
- Kumar G, et al. (CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 2024): Developed a real-time FPGA-based closed-loop deep brain stimulation platform targeting cerebellar circuitry to rescue motor deficits in cerebellar ataxia mice.
- Kumar G 等（CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics, 2024）：開發了基於 FPGA 的實時閉環深部腦刺激平台，針對小腦迴路以改善小腦性共濟失調小鼠的運動缺陷。
These studies provide fundamental insights into the genetic programs that sculpt neuronal morphology and circuit connectivity in the cerebellum, with direct implications for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders affecting motor coordination and cognitive function.
這些研究為塑造小腦神經元形態和迴路連接的遺傳程序提供了基礎性見解，對於理解影響運動協調和認知功能的神經發育障礙具有直接意義。
