Chhavi Sood

During development, neural stem cells (NSCs) divide asymmetrically, sequentially expressing a series of intrinsic factors to generate a diversity of neuron types. After cycling through temporal programs, NSCs terminally differentiate or die, bringing an end to developmental neurogenesis.

Most neurogenesis occurs during development, driven by the cell divisions of neural stem cells (NSCs). We use Drosophila to understand how neurogenesis terminates once development is complete, a process critical for neural circuit formation.

Stem cells enter and exit quiescence as part of normal developmental programs and to maintain tissue homeostasis during adulthood. We report that neural stem cells in Drosophila (neuroblasts) require the evolutionarily conserved Notch cell-cell signaling pathway to enter quiescence during development.

Adult neurogenesis occurs in specific locations in the brains of many animals, including some insects, and relies on mitotic neural stem cells. In mammals, the regenerative capacity of most of the adult nervous system is extremely limited, possibly because of the absence of neural stem cells.