Dr Albert Basson
King’s College London
The role of autism-associated CHD family
chromatin remodelling factors in
development and function of the cerebellum
27th March, 1pm
June Lloyd Seminar Room (PUW4), ICH
ABSTRACT
Chromatin remodelling factors of the CHD (chromodomain helices DNA-binding factor) family
have recently emerged as being significantly associated with intellectual disability and autism.
Using mouse models, we have uncovered key roles for CHD7, the factor associated with
CHARGE syndrome, in development and function of the cerebellum. I will discuss our genetic
and molecular findings that link CHD7 to the FGF and Reelin signalling pathways and present
the results of behavioural assays on cerebellar-specific conditional mutants. I will present new
mouse models for CHD8, and discuss our approaches for identifying the role of CHD8 in autism
and development.
BIOSKETCH
Albert obtained his PhD from the University of Cambridge and underwent post-doctoral training
at the National Institute for Medical Research (Mill Hill), Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New
York, King’s College London and UCSF. He started his own group at King’s College London in
2006 and is currently Reader in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology. His primary interest is to
understand how deregulated cell signalling and gene expression results in congenital disease.
His research has provided insights into the causes of developmental defects of the thymus,
kidney, cardiovascular system and cerebellum. The current focus of his group is to uncover the
function of chromatin remodelling factors in brain development and autism.