OWEN MARSHALL

We are interested in the epigenetic make-up of neuronal populations within the brain, and how the chromatin structure of these neurons changes during development, neurodegenerative disease and ageing. We seek to answer questions such as: What happens to neurons during Alzheimer's Disease progression? How are memories formed and preserved? What changes occur in the brain during the ageing process?... Within a cell, the activation of genes depends ultimately on their epigenetic environment. DNA is wrapped around nucleosomes to form chromatin, which can either be opened up to allow transcription factors to bind and genes to be transcribed, or condensed to shut down gene expression. By regulating the transitions between open and closed chromatin, great variation in the transcriptome of a cell can be achieved, even when expressing many of the same transcription factors... Epigenetics and systems biology of the brain

Primary location: Hobart Australia