Dr. Kampmann co-developed CRISPRi/a screening technology, and his lab conducted the first genome-wide screens in human neurons. His lab further pioneered the use of CRISPRi/a in other iPSC-derived differentiated cell types including microglia and astrocytes. His platform enables the identification of the cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases and to uncover potential therapeutic targets. His lab successfully used this platform to identify molecular mechanisms underlying the response of neurons to oxidative stress, and elucidate the pathway by which mitochondrial dysfunction in human cells is signaled to the rest of the cell. His group also provided the first molecular characterization of selectively vulnerable neurons in the context of human Alzheimer’s Disease brains. These incredible tools will be leveraged to to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of phagocytosis in iPSC-derived microglia as outlined in Brandon’s proposal.