The Deng Lab is interested in studying neural development and disease. We investigate how stem cells differentiate and give rise to neurons and glia, and then the grey matter and white matter and connected regions, and how variations in basic programs of development underlie nervous system disorders. We use mouse and human model systems, genetic fate mapping strategies, cellular and behavioral phenotyping, and high throughput library or omics techniques. Current projects focus on the regulation of neural stem cell identity and differentiation using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) differentiated into neurons and glia and their interconnected networks in vitro, genetic and epigenetic regulation of neural development and disease in hiPSC models or using mouse models, and stem cell responses to environmental perturbations, including hypoxia-ischemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation. We then use these models and technology platforms to identify therapeutic targets and intervention strategies.