Michael Piper’s work has focused on fundamental aspects of neural development within the brain, namely how neural stem cells produce post-mitotic neurons and glia, and how these neurons subsequently form appropriate connections that facilitate neuronal function. Moreover, he has developed a suite of tools to enable the cellular and molecular dissection of the genes that regulate these processes, as well as systems enabling us to probe functional deficits arising from abnormal neural development.
Piper’s work has been highlighted by leading international journals in the last five years, including Development, Cerebral Cortex and eBioMedicine. He has also received a number of scientific prizes, including the Australian and New Zealand Society for Cell and Developmental Biology Emerging Leader Award (2018), the Hydrocephalus Association Innovator Award (2017) and the American Association of Anatomists C.J. Herrick Award (2010).
Piper’s belief is that the powerful blend of cellular, molecular and behavioral approaches that he and his colleagues use to probe neuronal development will provide a fertile platform to define the epigenetic points of convergence relevant to aberrant neural stem cell proliferation that underlies a significant proportion of ASD cases.
