Guo-li Ming
How organoids helped unravel the mystery of the Zika virus
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About Guo-li Ming
As Perelman professor of neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Guo-li Ming heads a laboratory that is currently creating and using organoids to model disease and treatments in the brain—specifically for Zika and microcephaly, and other neurological disorders. Initially receiving medical training in China in the 1990s, Guo-li became more interested in research after moving to the US. After studying neuron communication at UC San Diego, she became an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins to study neural development processes during both embryonic development and in the adult brain. Guo-li is a frequent collaborator with her husband, Hongjun, who studies neural stem cells and neurogenesis. She has received a number of awards and is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Find out moreAbout This Talk
Organoids are tiny collections of cells that grow into mini organs in the lab, closely mimicking the development and reactions of actual human organs. Guo-li Ming, the Perelman Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine, leads a laboratory that creates and uses organoids to model diseases and treatments in the brain.
With the Zika virus outbreak in 2015, Guo-li and her team were able to put their brain organoids to the test, ultimately drawing the connection between the virus and the neurodevelopmental disease microcephaly. Tune in to Guo-li's 2017 TEDMED Talk to learn more about the exciting potential of organoids and how they can help us to better understand and treat microcephaly, as well as other neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, autism, schizophrenia, and more.
With the Zika virus outbreak in 2015, Guo-li and her team were able to put their brain organoids to the test, ultimately drawing the connection between the virus and the neurodevelopmental disease microcephaly. Tune in to Guo-li's 2017 TEDMED Talk to learn more about the exciting potential of organoids and how they can help us to better understand and treat microcephaly, as well as other neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s, autism, schizophrenia, and more.