This series is for genetics health professionals led by the Canadian College of Medical Genetics and co-sponsored by Can-GARD. Speakers will be translation-focused researchers, clinicians and innovators. The series will help attendees anticipate, access, and apply new approaches and technologies for patient care.
The Can-GARD/CCMG Leading Strand Series is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
We are pleased to share that as of the 2026/2027 season, the Garrod Association will be providing two presentations per season.
To register, click the button below or go to: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_e2yO6xnsSK2v70BLslqwjA
2025-2026 Leading Strand from 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET on:
Friday March 27, 2026
Understanding Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Human Neurons and Brain Organoids
This talk will highlight how human stem cell–derived neurons and brain organoids can capture patient-specific mutations and cellular phenotypes relevant to rare neurodevelopmental disorders, providing novel potential therapeutic strategies.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how human pluripotent stem cell can be differentiated into neurons and brain organoids.
- Discuss how human stem cells can model patient-specific genetic mutations.
- Discuss how to discover cellular phenotypes relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders.
Speaker: Dr. Yun Li
Dr. Yun Li is a neurobiologist focused on understanding human brain development and the mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. She is a Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children and a faculty member at the University of Toronto. Dr. Li received her PhD from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and completed her postdoctoral training at the Whitehead Institute and MIT. Her laboratory investigates how the human brain develops, what distinguishes it from that of other species, and how disorders such as autism alter its developmental trajectory and function. Her group models human brain development in vitro using pluripotent stem cell technologies, CRISPR-mediated genome engineering, and three-dimensional brain organoids to uncover disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic opportunities.
