Feindel Virtual Brain and Mind Lecture Series:Genomic deletions and duplications show effects on cognitive ability along the hierarchical gradient of the cortical organization
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Kuldeep Kumar
Postdoctoral Fellow, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre, University of Montreal, Canada
Abstract: Cognitive ability is subserved by large-scale brain networks. Previous research has established a relationship between normative spatial patterns of gene expression across the cortex, and the neuroanatomical as well as the functional organization of the cortex. However, the relationship between variations in gene expression across the cortex and cognitive ability has not yet been systematically investigated. In this talk, I will focus on how copy number variants (CNVs), which are genomic deletions or duplications and fully encompass one or more genes, offer a unique opportunity to characterize the impact of inter-individual genetic variation on cognitive ability. Using one of the largest aggregated data with CNV calls and measures of cognitive ability, we map the effects of CNVs on cognitive ability across the human cortex. The deletion and duplication effect size maps show positive and negative correlations with the established hierarchical gradient of the cortical organization. Our findings suggest that mutations with opposing gene dosage alter cognitive ability when they affect genes with opposing spatial patterns of expression in the cortex, suggesting that there is an optimal balance of gene expression across large-scale brain networks.
Bio: Kuldeep Kumar is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Prof. Sébastien Jacquemont at the CHU Sainte-Justine Research Centre at the University of Montreal in Canada. He is studying how rare genetic variations can affect how the brain works and its structure. Kuldeep previously earned a Ph.D. from ETS Montreal, Canada, under the supervision of Professor Christian Desrosiers, where he used multi-modal MRI data to obtain brain fingerprints for individual subject characterization. Prior to that, he graduated in Electronics engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India, and worked as a scientist in the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). His research interests include imaging genetics, medical image analysis, and neuroscience. He used to play hockey, the one on the grass and not on the ice.
The Feindel Virtual Brain and Mind (VBM) Seminar Series will advance the vision of Dr. William Feindel (1918–2014), Former Director of the Neuro (1972–1984), to constantly bridge the clinical and research realms. The talks will highlight the latest advances and discoveries in neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and neuroimaging.
Speakers will include scientists from across The Neuro, as well as colleagues and collaborators locally and from around the world. The series is intended to provide a virtual forum for scientists and trainees to continue to foster interdisciplinary exchanges on the mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of brain and cognitive disorders.
