Kang/Berg Lab

Research

Research in our group aims to understand how the brain develops during normal and pathological conditions. Our approach is to use cutting-edge techniques, such as neural stem cell cultures, and 3D-brain organoid and microglial assembloid culturing combined with pharmacological and genetic editing. We hope to understand fundamental concepts of brain development and understand how genetic and environmental risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorders affect the developmental process. We are privileged to be able to work on a wide range of problems and with a wide range of people. Our current collaborators include David Cyrus Mintz (Johns Hopkins, Baltimore); Paul Fowler (University of Aberdeen), Michael Morgan (University of Aberdeen), Patrick Cao Huan (University of Aberdeen, and Martin Collinson (University of Aberdeen). To find up-to-date information on our current projects and interests, please check out our papers or get in touch directly.

Lab members

Principal Investigators

Eunchai Kang, Group Leader
Daniel A Berg, Group Leader

Lab Technicians

Richard Gyuris, Joined 2024

Postdocs

David Wragg, PhD, Joined 2024
Delia Ramirez, PhD, Joined 2022

PhD Students

Sara Valkila, Joined 2024
Gaby Crawford, Joined 2023
Do Hyeon Gim, Joined 2022
Muhammad Khan, MD Joined 2021
Olivia Soper, Joined 2021
Mario Yanakiev, Joined 2021

Former lab members

Undergrad/masters project students

Mohammad Kahn
Florence Roberts
Georgia Hepburn

Selected Publications

Maternal Inflammation

MZK Assir, M Yanakiev, Gim DH, SSM Valkila, P Muscolino, L Peng, PA Fowler, DA Berg, E Kang. "IL-17A Alters Human Cortical Development in a 3D Ex Vivo Model of Maternal Immune Activation." Pre-Print, BioRxiv., 2024. Link

Organoids

F Ye, E Kang, C Yu, X Qian, F Jacob, C Yu, M Mao, RYC Poon, J Kim, et al. "DISC1 regulates neurogenesis via modulating kinetochore attachment of Ndel1/Nde1 during mitosis." Neuron, 2017. Link
X Qian, HN Nguyen, MM Song, C Hadiono, SC Ogden, C Hammack et al. "Brain-region-specific organoids using mini-bioreactors for modeling ZIKV exposure." Cell, 2016. Link

Neurogenesis

DA Berg, Y Su,D Jimenez-Cyrus, A Patel, N Huang, D Morizet, et al. A Common Embryonic Origin of Stem Cells Drives Developmental and Adult Neurogenesis. 2019. Cell, April 28. Link

DA Berg, AM Bond, G Ming, H Song. Radial glial cells in the adult dentate gyrus: what are they and where do they come from? F1000Research. 2018 Link

J Shin, DA Berg, Y Zhu, JY Shin, J Song, MA Bonaguidi, G Enikolopov et al. Single-cell RNA-seq with waterfall reveals molecular cascades underlying adult neurogenesis. Cell Stem Cell. 2015. Link

DA Berg, KJ Yoon, B Will, AY Xiao, NS Kim, KM Christian, H Song, G Ming. Tbr2-expressing intermediate progenitor cells in the adult mouse hippocampus are unipotent neuronal precursors with limited amplification capacity under homeostasis. Frontiers in Biology 2015. Link

MH Jang, MA Bonaguidi, Y Kitabatake, J Sun, J Song, E Kang et al. Secreted frizzled-related protein 3 regulates activity-dependent adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Cell Stem Cell 2013. Link

DA Berg, M Kirkham, H Wang, J Frisén, A Simon. Dopamine controls neurogenesis in the adult salamander midbrain in homeostasis and during regeneration of dopamine neurons. Cell Stem Cell. 2011. Link

DA Berg, M Kirkham, A Beljajeva, D Knapp, B Habermann, et al. Efficient regeneration by activation of neurogenesis in homeostatically quiescent regions of the adult vertebrate brain. Development. 2010. Link

Psyciatric disorders

E Kang, J Song, Y Lin, J Park, JH Lee, Q Hussani, Y Gu, S Ge et al. Interplay between a mental disorder risk gene and developmental polarity switch of GABA action leads to excitation-inhibition imbalance. Cell Reports 2019. Link
E Kang, Z Wen, H Song, KM Christian, G Ming. Adult neurogenesis and psychiatric disorders. Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in biology. 2018;360(6386),eaaq1392. Link
H Zhang, E Kang, Y Wang, C Yang, H Yu, Q Wang, Z Chen, C Zhang, et al. Brain-specific Crmp2 deletion leads to neuronal development deficits and behavioural impairments in mice. Nature Communications. 2016. Link
H Lee, E Kang, D GoodSmith, DY Yoon, H Song, JJ Knierim et al. DISC1-mediated dysregulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis in rats. Frontiers in systems Neuroscience. 2015. Link
H Zhang, E Kang, Y Wang, C Yang, H Yu, Q Wang, Z Chen, C Zhang, et al. Brain-specific Crmp2 deletion leads to neuronal development deficits and behavioural impairments in mice. Nature Communications. 2016. Link

Neurotoxicity

J Neudecker, Xu, Thomas, Penberthy, Kang, Berg, O’Meara, Brambrink, Mintz. An Update on Preclinical Research in Anesthetic-Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity in Nonhuman Primate and Rodent Models Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology (35), 104-113 2023. Link
J Xu, E Kang, CD Mintz. Anesthetics disrupt brain development via actions on the mTOR pathway Communicative & integrative biology 11 (2), 1-4 2018. Link
E Kang, D Jiang, KY Ryu, S Lim, Kwak M, CD Grey, M Xu, JH Choi, S Junn, J Kim, J Xu, M Scaefer, RA Johns, H Song, GL Ming, CD Mintz. Early postnatal exposure to isoflurane causes cognitive deficits and disrupts development of newborn hippocampal neurons via activation of the mTOR pathway PLoS biology 15 (7) 2017. Link
E Kang, DA Berg, O Furmanski, WM Jackson, YK Ryu, CD Gray, CD Mintz. Neurogenesis and developmental anesthetic neurotoxicity Neurotoxicology and teratology 60, 33-39 2017. Link
E M Kwak, S Lim, E Kang, O Furmanski, H Song, YK Ryu, CD Mintz. Effects of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic injury and hypothermic neuroprotection on neural progenitor cells in the mouse hippocampus. Developmental Neuroscience 2015. Link

Join Us

We are always looking for talented and motivated students to join our lab. If you are interested in understanding the wonders of human brain development, please email us.

We are happy to support applications for independent postdoctoral fellowships on a range of topics. If your research vision could benefit from our input, then please get in touch and we can discuss next steps.

Some possible opportunities include: