The Qian Lab studies human cerebral cortex development and disease using brain organoids, spatial omics, and genetics to uncover mechanisms of normal development and neurodevelopmental disorders, with the goal of enabling human-specific therapeutic insights.
We are recruiting postdoctoral fellows to join the Qian Lab! Come help us uncover the cellular and molecular programs of human cortical development using brain organoids, single-cell genomics, and spatial transcriptomics.
The Qian Lab is officially one year old! To celebrate this milestone, we gathered at my home for a potluck dinner, with plenty of delicious food, great conversations, and even a special appearance by my parents! Apparently, the lab is full of people with golden hands, talented in both wet bench work and cooking! It has been an exciting first year of building the lab, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the wonderful people who have made it possible.
Congratulations to Qian Lab postdoctoral fellow Dr. Jie Zhong on her well-received presentation at the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD) T32 Presents seminar at Penn! Jie shared the latest findings led by her and Zuwen on Focal Cortical Dysplasia in a data talk, highlighting our ongoing efforts to understand the cellular and spatial mechanisms underlying cortical malformations and pediatric epilepsy. Great job, Jie!
Congratulations to Qian Lab undergraduates Aidan Gor and Matt Greenspun, who presented their summer research at the Penn CURF Research Expo! Aidan presented his work on spatial transcriptomic analysis of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) and its implications for autism spectrum disorder, using MERFISH to investigate cortical laminar organization, pathological cell states, and autism-associated gene expression in human FCD tissue. His summer research was supported by a 2026 Autism Science Foundation Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship .
The Qian Lab investigates the development and disorders of the human cerebral cortex, the brain’s most evolutionarily advanced and disease-vulnerable region. To overcome the limitations of traditional models, the lab integrates human-based approaches, including brain organoid models, spatial omics technologies, and human genetics, to uncover the cellular and molecular programs that shape cortical development.
Through this work, the Qian Lab aims to decode the mechanisms of neuronal subtype specification and to uncover how these processes go awry in disorders such as malformations of cortical development (MCD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Ultimately, the lab seeks to lay a foundation for therapeutic strategies grounded in human biology.
