7/2025 We’re thrilled to share that Dr. Abdelhalim Loukil, Dr. Karama Hamdi, and Grace Hoffman proudly represented our team at the 2025 OCNDS Connect + Collaborate Conference in Denver, Colorado! 🏔️💙
This special event, hosted by the incredible CSNK2A1 Foundation, brought together researchers, families, and individuals living with Okur-Chung Neurodevelopmental Syndrome (OCNDS) from around the world 🌍—creating a truly unique and heartwarming space for science, advocacy, and connection. 💡🤝👨👩👧👦
🔬 Dr. Loukil was honored to be an invited speaker, delivering a talk titled “Decoding primary cilia dysfunction in OCNDS” 🧠🔍—highlighting groundbreaking research on how ciliary dysfunction might contribute to neurodevelopmental defects in OCNDS. 🖼️ Meanwhile, Dr. Karama Hamdi and Grace Hoffman showcased their research through engaging poster presentations, sparking meaningful conversations with fellow scientists and families. 👩🔬👨🔬
What makes this conference so special? 💖 It’s not just about the science—it’s about community. The CSNK2A1 Foundation created a space where patients, caregivers, and researchers could learn from each other, collaborate on future directions, and build lasting bonds. From family-centered panels to sibling support workshops, it was a celebration of hope, knowledge, and unity. 🌟
We’re incredibly proud of our team and grateful to be part of this inspiring journey toward better understanding and treatments for OCNDS. 💪🧬
6/2025 🚨 We’re excited to see our latest work out in the world! 🧬🧠
Our new paper, “Identification of new ciliary signaling pathways in the brain and insights into neurological disorders” by Loukil et al., 2025, has just been published in The Journal of Neuroscience! 🎉📢
In this study, we adapted the in vivo BioID (iBioID) system to target neuronal primary cilia, revealing a rich and dynamic network of ciliary signaling proteins in the mature brain. 🧪✨ This work uncovers previously unknown connections between cilia and key pathways like Eph/Ephrin and GABA signaling, offering fresh insights into how ciliary dysfunction may contribute to neurological disorders.
🌟 Huge thanks to Sarah Goetz’s and Scott Soderling’s labs at Duke University for their incredible guidance on the iBioID system and analysis of the neuronal ciliary networks! 🧬🧠🔍👏 We’re also grateful to Karama Hamdi and Elizabeth Menzel at Sanford Research Institute for stepping up to perform the final experiments that uncovered exciting new roles for cilia in brain signaling! 🧪✨🧠
🧠🔍 This paper marks a major step toward understanding the protein composition of neuronal cilia and opens new avenues for exploring the connection between ciliary signaling, brain function, and neurological disorders.
📖 Read the full article here: 👉 iBioID of Neuronal Cilia in the mature mouse brain
6/2025 🎉 We were thrilled to host Dr. Kirk Mykytyn, Associate Professor at The Ohio State University, for a special seminar at the Sanford Research Institute! 🧬🏛️
Dr. Mykytyn gave an amazing talk on neuronal primary cilia, sparking a dynamic and thought-provoking discussion on how these tiny organelles influence brain function and their connection to neurological disorders. 🧠✨🧪 His visit brought fresh insights and inspired new ideas across the lab! We thank him for sharing his expertise and passion for cilia biology! 🙌🔬
5/2025 🎉 A Warm Welcome to Our New Team Member! 🎉
We're excited to host Alondra Ocasio, who is interning with the lab as a SPUR student! 🌟 Welcome to the Loukil Lab and SR! 🚀🔬
