Xin Jin, Ph.D.

Research

The Jin lab will map how genetic variants associated with neuropsychiatric disorders alter the development, circuit organization, and anatomy of neurons across the entire brain. Human genetics analyses have led to the identification of hundreds of genes that are causally linked to devastating neuropsychiatric conditions. Yet, little is known about how these genetic perturbations contribute to brain function and dysfunction. Do they represent a myriad of independent mechanisms or do some converge on common neurodevelopmental pathways, cell types, or brain regions? We developed a method, called in vivo Perturb-seq, that allowed us to knock out a large panel of genes associated with brain disorders and assess how each perturbation alters individual neurons and cell types. Now, we will combine this technology with a novel method for imaging neuronal architecture across brain regions to comprehensively examine how risk genes alter cell migration, nerve cell structure, and the formation of neural circuits during development. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of how genetic risk factors impact brain development will open new possibilities for genomic-inspired therapeutics.