Bayraktar Group
Cellular Genetics
We seek to explore the vast cellular diversity in the human body.
To understand human cellular diversity, we aim to
- create single-cell level 3D maps of human organs using large-scale spatial transcriptomics and
- uncover the specialized functions of brain cell types using large-scale in vitro screens and mouse models.
We focus on studying neural cell type diversity in the human cerebral cortex
Without the cerebral cortex, we would not have complex thought and behavior. The cortex also plays major roles in many neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and schizophrenia. To precisely understand cortical function and determine how it goes awry in disease, we need to classify more than 16 billion neurons and 60 billion glial cells across this complex brain structure.
![Top: Large scale spatial transcriptomic pipeline. Bottom: Mapping neuronal subtypes across cortical layer and areas in the mouse brain at single cell resolution in situ.](/wp-content/uploads/may2018__spatial_transcriptomic_pipeline_mapping_neuronal_subtypes_cortical_layer_mouse_brain-3.jpg)
Research directions
Our team will work on three major research directions:
- Large-scale spatial transcriptomics for mapping human tissues: We will establish automated histology and imaging pipelines to map human tissues at single cell resolution at scale. We will use and develop highly-multiplexed single molecule fluorescent in situ hybridization (smFISH) methods to identify molecular cell types. We will extensively collaborate with Human Cell Atlas (HCA) and other teams at Sanger on diverse tissue applications and to develop automated image data analysis pipelines.
- Cortical cell type diversity in health and disease: We will use single cell sequencing and large-scale spatial transcriptomics to map neuronal and glial subtypes in the developing and adult human cerebral cortex. We will further utilize spatial transcriptomics to identify cellular pathways involved in neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD.
- Large-scale screens to discover human glial function: Glia represent the majority of cells in the human cerebral cortex, but we know little about their biology. We will perform large-scale protein interaction screens and imaging-based cellular assays to discover glial molecular pathways that regulate neuronal development. We will also study glia-neuron interactions in vivo using mouse models. In our initial studies, we will focus on the role of human astrocytes in synapse development.
Core team
![Dr Yeliz Demirci Photo of Dr Yeliz Demirci](/userpics/200/yd2.jpg)
Dr Yeliz Demirci
Postdoctoral Fellow
![Dr Loren Gibson Photo of Dr Loren Gibson](/userpics/200/lg19.jpg)
Dr Loren Gibson
Senior Research Manager
![Oliver Gould Photo of Oliver Gould](/userpics/200/og2.jpg)
Oliver Gould
Technical Specialist
![Zoi Olvia Katsirea Photo of Zoi Olvia Katsirea](/userpics/200/zk3.jpg)
Zoi Olvia Katsirea
Advanced Research Assistant
![Dr Vitalii Kleshchevnikov Photo of Dr Vitalii Kleshchevnikov](/userpics/200/vk7.jpg)
Dr Vitalii Kleshchevnikov
Bioinformatician
![Jing Eugene Kwa Photo of Jing Eugene Kwa](/wp-content/uploads/jk25_800-540x540.jpg)
Jing Eugene Kwa
PhD Student
![Dr Kwasi Amoako Kwakwa Photo of Dr Kwasi Amoako Kwakwa](/wp-content/uploads/kwakwa_kwasi_web-540x540.jpg)
Dr Kwasi Amoako Kwakwa
Visiting Scientist
![Dr Tong LI Photo of Dr Tong LI](/userpics/200/tl10.jpg)
Dr Tong LI
Senior Software Developer
![Dr Jimmy Tsz Hang Lee Photo of Dr Jimmy Tsz Hang Lee](/userpics/200/tl7.jpg)
Dr Jimmy Tsz Hang Lee
Postdoctoral Fellow
![Dr Fani Memi Photo of Dr Fani Memi](/userpics/200/fm13.jpg)
Dr Fani Memi
Senior Staff Scientist
![Mathieu Perez Photo of Mathieu Perez](/userpics/placeholder.jpg)
Mathieu Perez
MD-PhD Candidate
![Tarryn Porter Photo of Tarryn Porter](/userpics/200/tp1.jpg)
Tarryn Porter
Senior Scientific Manager
![Dr Kenny Roberts Photo of Dr Kenny Roberts](/userpics/200/kr19.jpg)
Dr Kenny Roberts
Senior Staff Scientist
![Dr Benjamin (Ben) John Woodhams Photo of Dr Benjamin (Ben) John Woodhams](/userpics/200/bw17.jpg)
Dr Benjamin (Ben) John Woodhams
Postdoctoral Fellow in High Throughput Spatial Genomics
Previous core team members
![Dr Gavin Bowen-Metcalf Photo of Dr Gavin Bowen-Metcalf](/userpics/placeholder.jpg)
Dr Gavin Bowen-Metcalf
Advanced RA
![Erdem Ercan Photo of Erdem Ercan](/userpics/200/ee2.jpg)
Erdem Ercan
Summer Student Placement
![Dr Jun Sung Park Photo of Dr Jun Sung Park](/userpics/200/jp27.jpg)
Dr Jun Sung Park
Visiting Scientist