Helen Cooper

Helen obtained her PhD in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Melbourne. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Scripps Research Institute (San Diego) before being recruited to the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (Melbourne) and then the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute to establish her own laboratory. In 2003 she joined The University of Queensland as an inaugural Group Leader and Head of the Neural Migration Laboratory at the Queensland Brain Institute. Her research explores the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the development of the neocortex. Understanding brain development and the origins of neurodevelopmental disorders. The neocortex is the seat of consciousness, memory, creativity and language. These very human traits emerge as a consequence of the complex architecture of the cortex which is established during embryonic development. The Cooper Lab is dedicated to uncovering the fundamental principles underpinning brain development and to identifying the molecular defects underlying neurodevelopmental disorders. Our research investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms that shape the neocortex. A central focus of our work is defining the receptor signalling networks that regulate neural stem cell function, the birth of new neurons, and the formation of the neural circuits that enable communication throughout the brain. We have identified key signalling pathways that, when disrupted, lead to cortical malformations such as heterotopias and hydrocephalus. These findings have yielded significant insights into the origins of human neurodevelopmental disorders and revealed intriguing links to conditions such as schizophrenia and autism.

[2024] BDNF-dependent nano-organization of Neogenin and the WAVE regulatory complex promotes actin remodeling in dendritic spines [2023] RGMa and Neogenin control dendritic spine morphogenesis via WAVE Regulatory Complex-mediated actin remodeling [2023] Embryonic stem cell-derived neurons as a model system for epigenome maturation during development [2023] The ups and downs of Pax6 in neural stem cells