The Neurogenomics Research Laboratory (NGRL) is dedicated to the application of a systems biology approach to the molecular and genetic analysis of human brain function. The NGRL is based in the UI Department of Neurosurgery and supported by the Departments of Neurosurgery, Neurology, and the Institute for Neurological Diseases. The NGRL is directed by Anup Madan, PhD and Greg Foltz, MD.

The NGRL is focused on defining the underlying genetic mechanisms that yield highly complex behaviors characteristic of human brain function. The overall goal is to define the functional brain transcriptome, that cohort of genes which are expressed in the human brain and play a role in its physiologic and developmental state. In relation to this fundamental challenge, our research focuses on three central questions:

• How has gene expression evolved to support higher cognitive processes related to language processing, memory, and emotional behavior?
• How is gene expression regulated across developmental and physiological time as part of a coordinated network?
• How does gene expression differ in cancer, with respect to normal development, at the level of gene regulatory networks?

The NGRL is actively developing new technologies and computational tools that will facilitate the application of a systems biology approach to the understanding of brain function. Current technologies include:

• High-throughput DNA sequencing
• Whole-genome microarray analysis
• Full-length gene synthesis
• Comparative genomic analysis