Title: Ontogeny of the spinal cord dorsal horn

Speaker: Dr R. Brian Roome, Ph.D, Postdoctoral Fellow at National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral fellow at Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, McGill University

Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm  

Location: 3H-01 Tupper Building

Abstract: “The dorsal horn of the mammalian spinal cord is organized into laminae where each layer is populated by different neuron types, has unique circuit connections, and plays specialized roles in behavior. An outstanding question is how this organization emerges during development from an apparently homogeneous pool of neural progenitors. Here, we show that dorsal neurons are

diversified by time, with families of related cell types born as temporal cohorts, and by a spatial-molecular gradient that specifies individual cell types. Excitatory neurons settle into a chronotopic arrangement that transforms their progressive birthdates into anatomical order and is required to establish proper laminae. We identified essential ontogenetic principles that shape dorsal progenitors into the diverse cell types and structure that subserve sensorimotor function.”