Abstract:  My lab uses induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to model neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative diseases. We have two main branches of the lab. The first is to understand how viral infection alters neuron and astrocyte differentiation and function. The second is to identify the mechanisms underlying neuron malfunction and loss in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This presentation will specifically focus on SMA, which is a leading genetic cause of infant mortality and is characterized by loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, skeletal muscle atrophy, and death. Although motor neuron loss is essential for the development of SMA, growing evidence suggests that astrocytes are a key component of SMA pathogenesis. We have found that SMA astrocytes exhibit significant morphological and functional abnormalities that occur prior to overt motor neuron loss. We have further shown that astrocytes contribute to the SMA phenotype and do not support motor neuron development and survival, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. I will discuss our new data identifying neuroinflammatory mediators and altered synaptic associated processes that could contribute to motor neuron loss.