Webinar: Decoding the Mechanisms Underlying Susceptibility to Neurodegeneration with iPSC-Derived Human Brain Tissue

10 AM EDT, July 14, 2026

While many individuals are genetically predisposed to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's (PD), translating these genetic vulnerabilities into effective therapies remains a major challenge. Traditional research systems often fail to capture uniquely human brain biology, hindering the discovery of underlying cellular mechanisms. To address this unmet need, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models have emerged as a transformative approach. By utilizing patient-derived iPSCs to engineer physiologically relevant human brain tissues, researchers can now accurately dissect genetic drivers, uncover complex disease mechanisms, and accelerate the development of much-needed disease-modifying therapies. 

Blanchard Lab engineers multicellular, stem cell–derived 3D human brain tissues that model key aspects of neurodegeneration in a physiologically relevant human context. They use these platforms to dissect disease mechanisms, identify therapeutic vulnerabilities, and accelerate translational discovery. 

Creative Biolabs is honored to invite Dr. Joel W. Blanchard to present a webinar titled "Decoding the Mechanisms Underlying Susceptibility to Neurodegeneration with iPSC-Derived Human Brain Tissue". 

In this talk, Dr. Joel W. Blanchard will highlight three examples of this approach: 

• How a rare genetic mutation drives severe juvenile PD, revealing a lysosome–polyamine–epigenetic axis of neurodegeneration;

• How APOE4 promotes α-synuclein co-pathology through glial dysfunction;

• How APOE4 drives cerebrovascular remodeling and blood–brain barrier dysfunction in AD. 

Together, these studies illustrate how engineered human brain models can uncover disease mechanisms inaccessible in traditional systems and open new paths toward therapeutics.

Webinar Recording

Speaker