About the Lab
Neurodevelopmental disorders encompass a broad constellation of conditions including intellectual disability, epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia, and other neuropsychiatric conditions. One emerging theme in the field is that disrupted inhibitory neuronal development and function is found in association with many neurologic and psychiatric disorders. This would be consistent with the growing body of knowledge that inhibitory neurons are highly diverse and key for virtually all aspects of neurobiology from neural circuit development to modulating neuronal activity to information processing.
In the Chao Lab, we integrate cross-species approaches in humans to uncover the genetic etiologies of neurodevelopmental disorders, fruit flies to elucidate the molecular pathways, and mice to explore the cascade of events in the mammalian brain. A wide variety of approaches and techniques are employed in our laboratory including genetically engineered mouse and fruit fly models, structural and functional analyses with electrophysiology, confocal and super-resolution imaging, transcriptomics, molecular and cellular assays, and comprehensive behavioral profiling. Neurodevelopmental disorders that we study include genetic syndromes characterized by epilepsy, autism, ataxia, leukodystrophy, and/or neurodegeneration. These syndromes are due to a variety of genetic and molecular alterations including transcription factor dysfunction (EBF3), protein translation dysfunction (EIF2AK1, EIF2AK2, EIF4A2), synaptic machinery (STXBP1, PPFIA3), and long non-coding RNAs (MEF2C-AS1).
Our goal is to decipher how genetic alterations perturb the balance of excitation and inhibition in the brain, impact cerebro-cerebellar circuits in autism and ataxia, impact neural development across multiple brain structures, and lead to abnormal neurologic output. These findings have the potential to open new avenues for therapeutic interventions. Our dedication as a team is encapsulated by our lab motto to Be Kind, Be Honest, Be Humble, Do Good Science.
2026 EBF3 HADDS International Conference
Honored to celebrate a decade of discovery at the 2026 EBF3 HADDS International Conference! Grateful to partner with the community and the EBF3 HADDS Foundation on this journey and looking forward to continued advances in the years to come. We are grateful for the enduring support of our research efforts from the Foundation and community.
2026 EBF3 HADDS Conference Slideshow "This is Us"
Celebrating an amazing community who inspire and drive science and medicine forward! These are our heroes and our greatest inspiration.
Honored to share part of the lyrics to "This is Us" copyrighted to the songwriter and the EBF3 HADDS Foundation, and the moving conference slideshow.
"We are superheroes — and the plaid capes were here all along,
Rising up together, we were never meant to be alone.
More than any diagnosis, more than any test,
Look at us — we stretched so much further than they ever guessed.
Look how far we've come, look how bright we shine,
Five hundred hearts and growing, beating on the same line.
Whatever they expected, we are so much more —
This is us. This is us. This is worth fighting for.
Ten years strong, and we're only just begun —
Rare is beautiful, and we shine as one.
This is us. This is love. This is everyone."
Congratulations Dr. Gabriella Ferretti!
Congratulations to postdoctoral associate Dr. Gabriella Ferretti on the award of the prestigious 2026 Dompe Foundation Postdoctoral Scholarship for her work on PPFIA3-related disorders!
Congratulations Dr. Jeffrey Kuerbitz!
Congratulations to Instructor, Dr. Jeffrey Kuerbitz, on the award of the prestigious 2026 CNCDP-K12 award for his work on EBF3-related disorders!
Celebrating Stellar Young Scientists 2025
Amazing team of Rice University undergraduate scientists working together for autism, ataxia, and rare diseases research, and advancing awareness for EBF3-related disorders. Congratulations to Cali Liu on her acceptance to Harvard University Graduate School of Design and Rija Naqvi on her acceptance to University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine!
(Left to Right) Ellen Kang, Cali Liu, Rija Naqvi, and Hana Jeong. (Not pictured) Ashira Edelheit-Rice, Aarthi Kukaruban, and Suhani Koppolu.
Dr. Maimuna Paul Launches Research Laboratory at Manipal University
Congratulations to former Chao Lab postdoctoral research scientist Dr. Maimuna Sali Paul for launching her own research laboratory as an Assistant Professor to rare genetic disorders at Manipal University!
Celebrating stellar MGC trainees!
Congratulations to our amazing Master's of Genetic Counseling trainees on their many accomplishments! (Left to Right) Cecilia Haag, Arden Wheeler, Claudia Cerezo.
Congratulations Dr. Jeffrey Kuerbitz on T32 NeuralCODR award!
Congratulations to Dr. Jeffrey Kuerbitz, postdoctoral physician-scientist in Child Neurology, on the award of the competitive 2026-2028 T32 Neural Control of Organ Degeneration and Regeneration (NeuralCODR) fellowship for his research on EBF3 and neurodevelopmental pathways. Kudos to a rising star!
Celebrating lab achievements (August 2024)!
Celebrating the wonderful accomplishments of our team of rising stars. Congratulations to Dr. Maimuna Sali Paul on starting soon her own neurogenetics research laboratory as Assistant Professor at Manipal University and Sydney Michener on launching her next career adventure in healthcare!
Congratulations Jordan Wu!
Congratulations to our stellar lab alumna and future physician Jordan Wu on her White Coat Ceremony at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine! Proud of her many accomplishments and excited for her future career in medicine.
Clinical Study
Natural history and molecular mechanisms of epilepsy, ataxia, autism spectrum and other neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorders, including EBF3-related Hypotonia, Ataxia, and Delayed Development Syndrome (HADDS), EIF2AK2-related LEUDEN syndrome, EIF2AK1-related LEMPSAD syndrome, EIF4A2-related disorder, and PPFIA3-related disorder. Clinical Study Contact: chao-lab@bcm.edu
Contact Us
Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute
1250 Moursund St
Houston, Texas, 77030
hsiaotuan.chao@bcm.edu
eriel.eaglin@bcm.edu
Phone: (713) 798-8548