Download JEAN M. HÉBERT, Ph.D. Positions: Research interests:

JEAN M. HÉBERT, Ph.D.
Positions:
Professor, Departments of Neuroscience and of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Research interests:
The Hébert lab has two main focuses. First, understanding how a simple sheet of neuroepithelial cells early in
embryogenesis develops into the adult neocortex, the part of our brains that we use for our highest cognitive and
perceptual functions. And second, devising methods for regenerating the principle neurons of the adult neocortex
when they are lost. For both interests, we use primarily molecular genetic techniques to manipulate the
expression of regulatory genes in neural precursor cells in mice. More specifically, our primary goals are to: 1)
understand how one class of genes, those that encode components of the FGF signaling pathway, regulate the
behavior of neural precursor cells in the forebrain during development and in adulthood; and 2) establish
paradigms for regenerating widely dispersed glutamatergic projection neurons in the adult neocortex using
engineered neural precursor cells.
Current grant funding:
R01 MH 070596 (Hébert)
05/01/2013 – 04/30/2018
NIH/NIMH
Genetic analysis of forebrain patterning and neurogenesis
R21 NS 088943 (Hébert)
07/01/2014 – 06/30/2016
NIH/NINDS
Assessing whether the adult neocortex can incorporate new projection
neurons
Five recent publications:
1. Kang W, Hébert JM. (2015). FGF signaling is necessary for neurogenesis in young mice and sufficient to
reverse its decline in old mice. J. Neuroscience 35: 10217-10223.
2. Kang W, Balordi F, Su N, Chen L, Fishell G, Hébert JM. (2014). Astrocyte activation in both normal and
injured brain is suppressed by FGF signaling. PNAS, 111: E2987-E2995.
3. Antoine M, Hübner CA, Arezzo JC, Hébert JM. (2013). A causative link between inner ear defects and
long-term striatal dysfunction. Science 341: 1120-1123.
4. Diaz F, McKeehan N, Kang W, Hébert JM. (2013). Apoptosis of glutamatergic neurons fails to trigger a
neurogenic response in the adult neocortex. J. Neuroscience 33: 6278-6284.
5. Paek H, Hwang JY, Zukin RS, Hébert JM. (2011). b-catenin-dependent FGF signaling sustains cell
survival in the anterior embryonic head by countering Smad4. Developmental Cell 20: 689-699.