Harvard University Professor Paola Arlotta has made major contributions to understanding how the diversity of cell types in the brain are established during development. Her lab identified molecular programs that shape cell-identity acquisition and reprogramming from on type to another. Her recent research on human brain organoids has demonstrated remarkable conservation of the timing and organization of the cellular architecture of the human brain. Recently her team showed that human brain organoids record the passage of time over many years. In this episode I talk with Paola about her career with a focus on her fascinating research on human brain organoids which is elucidating unique features of the human brain, is providing new insight into mechanisms of human brain disorders and potential novel treatments.

LINKS
Arlotta Laboratory:

https://www.hsci.harvard.edu/people/paola-arlotta-phd

Review article:

https://www.annualreviews.org/docserver/fulltext/genom/26/1/annurev-genom-111522-014009.pdf?expires=1793025978&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=011AEC12CD15297D1293F3CD3F4D26A2

Human brain organoid original research articles:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13581598/pdf/41586_2026_Article_10877.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11338177/pdf/nihms-2010600.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9990683/pdf/nihms-1838109.pdf