Jimena Andersen, PhD

My goal is to understand, at a cellular and tissue levels, the fundamental processes that shape the development and function of the spinal cord and motor system and identify vulnerable links that predispose it to disease. My particular focus will be on studying the contribution of extrinsic factors or cell-to-cell interactions in this context.

The Andersen lab at Emory University uses stem cell-derived organoid and assembloid technologies in combination with state-of-the-art molecular and functional techniques, including single cell omics, viral tracing, calcium imaging and optogenetics, and integrates expertise in cell and developmental biology, stem cell biology, neuroscience and cellular models of disease to ask 1) how do cell-to-cell interactions regulate the development and function of the human spinal cord and motor system, and 2) how do aberrations in cell-to-cell interactions contribute to diseases of the motor system such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Brain Organoid Hub at Emory University

The potential of human brain organoids as a new path towards personalized medicine has resulted in a flurry of brain organoid-based modeling efforts in recent years. This exponential growth, however, has outpaced issues of reproducibility. The lack of optimal and standard culture protocols across the field has made it challenging to compare and integrate results across labs. In response to this, together with Drs. Steven Sloan and Fikri Birey in the Department of Human Genetics at Emory University we have founded the Brain Organoid Hub. Our goal is to standardize, automate, and innovate on the maintenance, differentiation, and use of hiPSCs, organoids and assembloids. Ultimately, the hub aims to create a unique space to improve upon standards and practices of differentiation protocols among the brain organoid community, enable high-throughput phenotyping, and empower interdisciplinary collaborative personalized medicine efforts at scale.