Brain Organoids Unlock New Understanding of Developmental Disorders

What the hippocampus tells us about exercise, learning, and memory. How organoids are being used in neurodevelopmental research. And the future of medicine and stem cell therapy. In this episode, Dr. Xinyu Zhao, Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and investigator at the Waisman Center, joins John Foxe, PhD, director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester. Dr. Zhao is internationally recognized for groundbreaking research on the molecular mechanisms that regulate neural stem cells, adult neurogenesis, and brain development, including how disruptions in these processes contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders like autism, fragile X syndrome, and Rett syndrome. Dr. Zhao was a keynote speaker at the 2025 Golisano Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Institute and Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience Symposium.

🧠Stay Connected

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@URNeuroscience

X: https://x.com/URNeuroscience

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/urneuroscience.bsky.social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/urneuroscience/

🧠Experts in this Episode:

Xinyu Zhao, PhD: https://neuro.wisc.edu/staff/zhao-xinyu/

John Foxe, PhD: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/112360965-john-j-foxe

🧠Labs Mentioned:

Zhao Lab: https://zhao-lab.com/

Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab: https://urmc.info/1RG