Research Focus
The brainstem is the highway of synaptic information between the brain to the spinal cord. It is made up of many groupings of neurons that carry out specific functions including those necessary for sensation, locomotion, hearing, breathing, and heart rate. The Butts lab utilizes tissue engineering strategies and multi-omic approaches to develop stem cell-derived brainstem in vitro models mimicking native neural development. The Butts lab is directly associated with the Bioengineering Department and Neuroengineering Initiative at Rice University, while also connecting with collaborators within the surrounding Texas Medical Center including Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.
Defining neural fate decisions and function in the brainstem
Despite that brainstem being so critical to human life, little is understood about how the different types of neurons in the brainstem are developed. By understanding the genetic programs that change during development, we can understand what drives neurons to be diverse in space, time, and function. Our lab is currently focusing on Atoh1-expressing progenitors that give rise to over 40 different cell types throughout the brainstem and cerebellum. We use genetic mouse models to label specific neuronal populations that can be manipulated and analyzed with single-cell and spatial multi-omics to uncover neural fate decisions.
Tissue engineered models of the brainstem
In vitro cell models enable the study of human cells, scaling of therapeutic testing, and investigation of cell replacement strategies. However, it is important that these cell models mimic native development and tissue structure. Due to the complexity of the brainstem, there is a lack of tissue engineered models that recapitulate its structure and function in a dish. The Butts Lab is using guidance from development as a roadmap to design improved tissue engineered models of the brainstem.
Modeling of neurological disease
Regions of the brainstem are vulnerable to neurological diseases including Parkinson’s Disease, ALS, and the most common pediatric brain cancer – medulloblastoma. Our lab is using mouse model systems and stem cell-derived neuronal populations to elucidate disease mechanisms and design testbeds for therapies for these life-altering neurological diseases.