Neural Stem Cells
& Brain Development
We aim to elucidate the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that regulate neural stem cell fate. By determining how these regulatory mechanisms shape brain development, we hope to understand the basis of neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy and Autism.
Ongoing Projects
Glucose Metabolism & GLUT1 in Neural Development
Neural stem cells rely on glucose as their primary energy source, and GLUT1 is a key transporter controlling how these cells take up and use glucose to meet their metabolic demands. This project investigates how glucose metabolism within neural stem cells themselves shapes their behavior — including proliferation, differentiation, and long-term maintenance — and how disruptions in this intrinsic metabolic signaling contribute to abnormal brain development.
About GLUT1 Deficiency →Modeling GLUT1 Deficiency Syndrome with Human Cerebral Organoids
GLUT1 Deficiency Syndrome is caused by mutations that impair glucose uptake and use, leading to seizures, developmental delay, and movement disorders. This project uses patient-derived human cerebral organoids to recreate the disease in a dish, allowing the lab to study how impaired glucose metabolism disrupts neural stem cell biology and to identify points where intervention might help.
About GLUT1 Deficiency →FOXP1 Regulatory Pathways in Neural Stem Cells & Excitatory Neurons
FOXP1 is a transcription factor essential for normal brain development, and its mutation is linked to a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders. This project examines how FOXP1 regulates neural stem cell self-renewal and the specification of excitatory neurons, with a focus on how FOXP1 intersects with stress adaptation and metabolic signaling to coordinate the timing of neurogenesis.
About FOXP1 Syndrome →Drug Repurposing Project to Identify Potential Treatments for GLUT1 Deficiency Syndrome
This project screens existing FDA-approved and investigational compounds for their ability to restore GLUT1 protein function. By repurposing known drugs rather than developing new ones from scratch, the goal is to accelerate the path to a viable treatment for patients and families affected by this rare disease.
About GLUT1 Deficiency →Selected Work
Google Scholar profile →
The Team
Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute
Weill Cornell Medicine
Interested in joining the Pearson Lab? We welcome motivated researchers at all career stages.
We welcome rotation students from the Weill Cornell and Tri-I graduate programs.
Send your CV to [email protected] →Lab Updates
Funding & Support
Get In Touch
Address
Belfer Research Building
413 East 69th Street
New York, NY 10065
Institution
Center for Neurogenetics
Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute
Weill Cornell Medicine
Campus
The Pearson Lab is located in the Belfer Research Building on the Weill Cornell Medical College campus on the Upper East Side — steps from Memorial Sloan Kettering and Rockefeller University.