The Gordon M. Shepherd Lecture in Integrative Neuroscience

The human cerebral cortex is more than three times expanded compared to our closest non-human primate relatives. The cortex emerges from a pseudostratified neuroepithelium giving rise to radial glia, the neural stem cells of the cortex. Subtypes of radial glia have been identified, and single cell RNA sequencing has enabled the construction of a multiomic molecular atlas of the human neocortex across different developmental stages at cellular resolution. The results illuminate molecular and cellular dynamics of the developing human neocortex, including gene regulatory networks, lineage potential, evolution and disease susceptibilities. Insights include language specializations and mechanisms of glioblastoma and neuropsychiatric disorders.