Mai Abdelgawad Abdelgawad

My research focuses on uncovering the molecular and cellular mechanisms that connect neurodevelopment and neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), with a particular emphasis on the FUS gene and its disease-associated mutation. Conducted jointly between the Lakatos Lab at the University of Cambridge and the Basu Lab at Imperial College London, my work utilizes advanced human neural organoid models, including cerebral organoids, spinal cord organoids, and dorsal-ventral forebrain assembloids, to investigate both the fundamental developmental functions of FUS and the pathological consequences of FUS mutations in ALS and FTD. A central focus of my research is identifying FUS-mediated epigenetic regulators that govern neural cell fate commitment and differentiation, aiming to elucidate how their dysregulation contributes to ALS and FTD pathogenesis. By integrating organoid-based disease modeling, imaging, and molecular and epigenetic analyses, my work seeks to bridge the gap between disrupted neurodevelopmental mechanisms and neurodegeneration, providing new insights into disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies.