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.
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 .
We are grateful and excited to share that the Qian Lab has received a new grant from the John Templeton Foundation to support our project, “Genetic Origins of Individuality: Adaptive Learning in Human Cortical Organoids.” This three-year project will explore how genetic variation contributes to differences in adaptive learning and behavior in human cortical organoids. By combining human brain organoid models with electrophysiology, longitudinal recording, and closed-loop stimulation, we aim to investigate how developing neural networks respond to experience, adapt over time, and acquire distinct functional properties.
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.
