Tuan Leng Tay

How does our brain develop, respond to damage or foreign bodies, and repair itself? The Tay Lab seeks to understand the processes and mechanisms underlying these changes across the lifespan by studying microglia, the principle immune cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Over the past decade, research on microglia have expanded from their immune-sensing functions and disease associations to include their important roles in maintaining brain health and enabling tissue repair. In contrast to neurons and other CNS glial cells derived from the neuroectodermal lineage, microglia primarily originate from a mesodermal source known as the yolk sac erythromyeloid progenitor. Precursors of mature microglia have been observed to infiltrate and establish themselves in the developing brain before the first neuron is formed. Microglia have been described to perform specific activities (e.g., phagocytosis, cytokine release, proliferation) that support the development and maturation of neurons, axons, oligodendrocyte precursor cells and oligodendrocytes, as well as synaptic remodelling and plasticity. Much about the heterogeneity of the microglial populations and their functional diversity remain to be uncovered.

Department Profile Page: Biology

Department Profile Page: Anatomy & Neurobiology

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