Prof. Shen is leading a research group working on animal model and human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of brain disorders at REMEDI, School of Medicine, NUI Galway. His team has collaborated with Irish clinicians and now generated iPSCs from a total of ~50 individuals of healthy controls, and patients with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), and Long QT syndrome (LQTS), all of which are associated with specific genetic lesions. Their new project will also derive iPSCs from patients with Epilepsy. They are currently differentiating the iPSCs into astrocytes, neurons and cardiomyocytes, and phenotype them to establish human disease models on dish. They also discovered that ULK4 can be a rare risk factor for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. They are working on the Ulk4 hypomorph mouse model and discovered its role in neuritogenesis, neurogenesis, ciliogenesis and anxiety behavior. Their recent publications include: 1. Madill M, McDonagh K, Ma J, Vajda A, McLoughlin P, O'Brien T, Hardiman O, Shen S*. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis patient iPSC-derived astrocytes impair autophagy via non-cell autonomous mechanisms. Mol. Brain. 2017 Jun 13;10(1):22. 2. Sotthibundhu A, McDonagh K, Klawiter A, Thompson K, Dockery P, Devine M, Kunath T, O’Brien T, Barry F, Shen S*. 2016. Rapamycin Regulates Autophagy and Cell Adhesion in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cell Res. Ther. 2016 Nov 15;7(1):166.3. Liu M, Guan Z, Shen Q, Flinter F, Domínguez L, Ahn JW, Collier DA, O'Brien T, Shen S*. Ulk4 Regulates Neural Stem Cell Pool. Stem Cells. 2016 Sep;34(9):2318-31. 4. Liu M, Guan ZL, Shen Q, Lalor P, Fitzgerald U, O’Brien T, Dockery P, Shen S*. Ulk4 is essential for ciliogenesis and CSF flow. 2016, J Neurosci. 2016 Jul 20;36(29):7589-600. 5. Dominguez L, Schlosser G; Shen S*. 2015. Expression of a novel serine/threonine kinase gene, Ulk4, in neural progenitors during Xenopus laevis forebrain development. Neuroscience, 2015 Apr 2;290:61-79.6. Lang B, Pu J, Hunter I, Liu M, Martin-Granados C, Reilly TJ, Gao GD, Guan ZL, Li W, Shi Y, He G, He L, Stefánsson H, St Clair D, Blackwood DH, McCaig CD, Shen S*. 2014 Recurrent deletions of ULK4 in schizophrenia: a novel gene crucial for neuronal elongation, branching and motility J Cell Sci 127:630-40.
(2013) Assessing The Therapeutic Potential Of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells In In Vitro Models Of Acute Lung Injury. American Thoracic Society International Conference. 2013, Philadelphia.
(2012) Stem cells and neural development. 2012. 7th Annual Neuroscience Ireland meeting, RCSI, Dublin.
(2012) “A novel gene ULK4 is deleted in schizophrenia and crucial for neurite elongation and branching”. International Symposium on Molecular Cognition and Translational Research of Neuropsychiatric Research. 2012, Shanghai.
(2011) Creating Mouse Models of Behavioural and Psychiatric Disorders, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Sheffield University.
(2011) Role of PACAP signaling in the adult neurogenesis Winter Neuropeptide Conference, 2011, Liverpool.
(2010) Expression of Truncated DISC1 Associates with Schizophrenia‐Related Neural and Behavioral Phenotypes in Mice. DISC1 2010, Edinburgh.
(2009) Roles of PACAP signalling in mouse neurogenesis 19th Neuropharmacology Conference - NEUROPEPTIDES. Chicago.
(2009) PAC1 & mouse neurogenesis. The 9th International Symposium on VIP, PACAP, and Related Peptides. Kagoshima.
(2009) PAC1 & neurogenesis, 30th Winter Neuropeptide Conference, Colorado.
(1999) Expression of the human PACAP (PAC1) receptor and a reporter gene from a modified P1 artificial chromosome in transgenic mice. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 25: 1970.
(1999) Expression of the rat and human VPAC2 receptor in the suprachiasmatic nucleus: rostro-caudal distribution and co-localization with vasopressin and VIP mRNA. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 25: 1370.
(1999) ransgenic approaches to the understanding of VIP and PACAP receptor function. Regulatory Peptides 83: 58.
(1992) Regulation and function of RARb in embryonic stem cells and mouse development. Mouse Genetics Conference, Cold Spring Harbor.
(1988) Generation of mice lacking a receptor for VIP and PACAP (the VPAC2 receptor). Society for Neuroscience Abstracts 24: 2049.
(2017) Clinical characterisation of neurexin1 deletions and their role in neurodevelopmental disorders.
(2011) Animal and cellular modeling of neurodevelopmental disorders. 2011 Galway Neuroscience Research Day, Galway.
(2008) “Neuropeptide Signalling, Stem Cells & Neurodevelopmental Disorders”. School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Liverpool, UK.
(2009) “Genetic modelling of neurodevelopmental disorders”. Molecular Medicine Centre, University of Edinburgh, UK.
(2009) “PAC1 & mouse neurogenesis”, 9th International Symposium on VIP, PACAP & Related Peptides, Kagoshima, Japan.
(2009) “PAC1 & neurogenesis” 30th Winter Neuropeptide Conference, Colorado, USA.
(2010) “Stem Cells and Brain Development”, Strathclyde University, Glasgow.
(2010) “Genetic Modeling of Neurodevelopmental disorders”. FMMU, Tang Du Hospital, Xi’an.
(2010) “Genetic Modeling of Neurodevelopmental disorders”. FMMU, Institute of Neuroscience, Xi’an.
(2010) “PAC1 & mouse neurogenesis”, 19th Neuropharmacology Conference – Neuropeptides, Chicago, USA.
(2011) “Neurological Diseases & Regenerative Medicine”, Hebei Normal University, China.
(2011) “Neurological disorders & Regenerative Medicine”. Tangdu Hospital, China. Attended as VIP at Neurosurgery Hospital opening ceremony.
(2011) “Neurological Diseases & Regenerative Medicine”, Life Science College, Zhejiang University.
(2011) “Stem Cell Therapies: State of the Art”, Science Foundation Ireland, Dublin.
(2011) “Creating Mouse Models of Behavioural and Psychiatric Disorders”, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Sheffield University, UK.
(2011) “Stem cells and genetic modelling of neurological disorders”, CLSS-UK, Edinburgh.
(2011) “Plans for the Development of a Basic Research Programme in Stem Cell Biology at REMEDI”, REMEDI/NCBES, NUI Galway.
(2011) “Role of PACAP signaling in adult neurogenesis” Winter Neuropeptide Conference, Liverpool.
(2011) “Animal and cellular modeling of neurodevelopmental disorders”. Galway Neuroscience Research Day.
(2012) Attending International Autism Conference at NUI Galway organised by Geraldine Leader.
(2012) “Stem cells and neural development”. 7th Annual Neuroscience Ireland meeting, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
(2012) “Neurological Diseases & Regenerative Medicine”. Life Science College, Zhejiang University.
(2012) “A novel gene ULK4 is deleted in schizophrenia and crucial for neurite elongation and branching”. International Symposium on Molecular Cognition and Translational Research of Neuropsychiatric Research. Shanghai.
(2012) “iPS cell modeling of neurological diseases”. FMMU, Xi’an, China.
(2012) “iPS cell modeling of neurological diseases”. Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
(2012) “iPS cell modeling of neurological diseases”. Bio-X Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
(2013) “Induced Pluripotent Stem cell models for autism and Fragile X syndrome”, Anti-aging and Regenerative Medicine, Shenzhen.
(2013) “Animal and cellular modeling of neurodevelopmental disorders”, Brussels Meeting for H2020.
(2013) “Involvement Of A Novel Kinase ULK4 In Neurodevelopmental Disorders In Mice And Humans”, The 1st Annual Molecular Psychiatry Meeting in San Francisco.
(2013) 09/13 “Animal /Stem Cell Modeling and Regenerative Medicine”, Healthy Workshop at Shenzhen University, SFI ISCA programme.
(2013) 6 Invited Lectures at Shanghai Jiaotong University in a Summer course of “Brain Facts.
(2013) “Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cell Research for Autism at NUIG”, 2nd International Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders, NUI Galway.
(2013) “Modeling Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Transgenic Mice and Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells”, CLASS seminar, UCD.
(2014) “Modeling Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Mice and In Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells”, Glasgow Caledonian University.
(2016) In vitro and ex vivo models of multiple sclerosis.
(2012) Progress on stem cell research towards the treatment of Parkinson's disease.