Profile
Educational Background
Postdoctoral Fellow, Neurosurgery, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, 2013
Ph.D., Pharmacology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 2008
B.S., Biochemical Pharmacology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 2003
Research Interests
The Feliciano lab translates fundamental biological knowledge about the brain into clinically relevant ideas. They achieve this by studying gene mutations that alter brain architecture. Many of these mutations effect small populations of people throughout the world. But because the genes are known, scientific approaches can be taken to perform loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments. The laboratory achieves these goals by studying brain cells, including stem cells, neurons, and astrocytes in culture. Arguably more important is that they can also perform these manipulations in vivo in living animals. These genetic alterations are then coupled with state-of-the art imaging and next generation RNA sequencing technologies to reveal the underlying molecular pathways and cellular physiology that are consequently altered by these changes. Many of the common neurological diseases that effect society have no known etiology but by studying rare disorders with known gene mutations, much of what is learnt can be applied to these other diseases. Diseases studied include neurodevelopmental disorders with high rates of comorbidity with epilepsy, intellectual delay, autism, and a predisposition to nervous system tumors.
Research Group (Lab)
Courses Taught
Graduate: Seminar Series
Neurobiology of Disease
Neurobiology
Cell Biology
Senior Seminar
Selected Talks
Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Department of Pathology, How the Neonatal Subventricular Zone Relates to Neurodevelopmental Disorders
C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, NIH Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch (PPB of NICHD), Extracellular Vesicles Regulate the Neonatal Neuro-immune Axis
A Tor of the Developing Brain South Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders (SCAND) Research Symposium
Cold Spring Harbor Asia, “Biology of Extracellular Vesicles”, Suzhou, China
University of South Carolina, Department of Biology, “A Neural Stem Cell-Extracellular Vesicle-Microglia Axis”
University of Georgia, Neuroscience Program, “A Neural Stem Cell-Extracellular Vesicle-Microglia Axis”
Michigan State University (MSU), Department of Pediatrics, College Human Medicine, Invited Talk titled “Identifying Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and mTOR-Dependent Neurodevelopmental Disorders”
University of Georgia at Athens (UGA), Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, mTOR Regulation and Cortical Development
Allen Brain Institute: Evolution of Cerebrocortical Development
University of New England: Pharmacologically Resistant Epilepsy: Lessons Learned from Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Des Moines University: Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Fetal Brain Development and What we can Learn from Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: Mouse Models and Mechanisms. Yale Department of Physiology
Single-cell knockout of Tsc1 in utero generates cortical tuber-like lesions and heterotopic nodules with cytomegalic neurons. Yale Club Neurobiology
Neonatal subventricular zone neural stem cells release extracellular vesicles that function as a non-canonical microglial morphogen. Society for Neuroscience Postnatal Neurogenesis and Stem Cell Functions
Neurovesicles in Brain Development Southeastern Regional Developmental Biology Meeting
A neurodevelopmental regulator of the mtor pathway Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting
A neurodevelopmental regulator of the mtor pathway Society for Developmental Biology Southeast Regional Meeting
Single-cell knockout of Tsc1 in utero generates cortical tuber-like lesions and heterotopic nodules with cytomegalic neurons. 2010 Society for Neuroscience
Honors and Awards
2009 Epilepsy Foundation Fellowship
2010 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA)
2010 NIH LRP Pediatric Research
2012 Vicky H. Whittemore Award
2015 Whitehall Foundation Research Award
Links
Neural Stem Cell-Microglia News
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Grant
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex News
Exosome News
TIGER MOUSE
Brain Disorder Grant
