Human Cellular Approaches to Study Brain Physiology and Pathology

Invited speaker: Dr. Cristiana Cruceanu  

Developmental and Translational Neurobiology Research Group, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden 

Biography of the speaker: 

Cristiana Cruceanu is an Assistant Professor at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where she leads the Developmental and Translational Neurobiology research group. She has made important contributions to understanding how prenatal environmental exposures influence human brain development and long-term mental health outcomes. Her research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which stress-related factors shape neurodevelopmental trajectories. Using integrative approaches that combine human iPSC-derived cellular models, population-based cohorts, and multi-omics technologies, her work provides insight into pathways underlying vulnerability and resilience to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Cristiana received her PhD from McGill University in Montreal, with research focused on genetic, transcriptional, and epigenetic mechanisms in mood disorders, including bipolar disorder and major depression. During her postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich, she expanded her work to investigate how stress biology influences early brain development using human-relevant models. She has been recognized for her contributions to neuroscience with prestigious awards, including funding from the Swedish Research Council, the Swedish Brain Foundation, and the Swedish Society for Medical Research, supporting her work on the placenta-brain axis and the role of the placenta as a mediator of prenatal stress effects. In 2024, she received the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) Rising Star Award for her promising research in applied and translational neuroscience with the potential to advance the science, treatment, and prevention of brain disorders. Cristiana’s publication record spans high-impact journals in neuroscience and molecular psychiatry, including Science Advances, Molecular Psychiatry, American Journal of Psychiatry, Nature, Science, and Translational Psychiatry, reflecting her contribution to research on both pathology and the developmental origins of neuropsychiatric conditions. 

Description of the general focus of the symposium: 

Human cellular models have opened new avenues for understanding the mechanisms that shape brain physiology and contribute to neurological and psychiatric disorders. This symposium will gather researchers who employ iPSC-based models, direct reprogramming strategies, and emerging 3D systems to study human neural development, stress responsiveness, and disease-related processes in a biologically relevant context. By combining diverse methodological perspectives, the session aims to highlight how human-derived models are redefining experimental possibilities in neuroscience. 

A central focus of the symposium is how these platforms capture features that are difficult to reproduce in traditional systems, including human genetic background, regulatory complexity, and aspects of maturation or aging. Talks will examine how molecular pathways are regulated in human neural cells, how they respond to environmental or hormonal stimuli, and how these responses may contribute to vulnerability or resilience across different conditions. Another key theme is the translational potential of these approaches. Presentations will illustrate how human cellular systems can reveal mechanisms relevant to neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disorders, and how they may support the identification of new therapeutic targets. By emphasizing conceptual advances and methodological innovation, the symposium will encourage discussion on the strengths and limitations of human-based modeling, as well as on how these systems can be integrated with complementary technologies. 

Overall, this session aims to provide a broad and forward-looking perspective on how human cellular approaches are shaping contemporary neuroscience and enabling new strategies for investigating the biological foundations of brain health and disease. 

Stress and Cortical Development: Cellular and Gene Regulatory Pathways in Neurodevelopmental Disorders  

Brief description of the talk: 

The prenatal environment is a major determinant of early human brain development, and disruptions during this period are increasingly linked to lifelong neurodevelopmental and psychiatric outcomes. This presentation will examine how stress-related exposures, including glucocorticoid signaling and inflammatory cues, may influence cellular trajectories and gene regulatory programs during corticogenesis. Insights will be drawn from human iPSC-derived models and multi-omics approaches that allow researchers to study developmental processes in a human-relevant context. The session will outline how stress can modulate the balance of emerging neuronal and glial populations, reshape transcriptional networks, and affect developmental timing, with potential implications for vulnerability or resilience to neurodevelopmental disorders. The talk will highlight the importance of integrating cellular, molecular, and environmental perspectives in order to better understand how early-life conditions contribute to later brain health.