Sarah Graham

In my research, I am interested in finding out how our genome provides the instructions for building language capacity in the brain, by focussing on events at the molecular and cellular level. Regions of DNA involved in the language faculty are being revealed through genetic analyses of individuals with atypical language performance. Currently, a small number of genetic variations are known to affect language performance, notably those which disrupt the function of the protein FOXP2, leading to a rare form of speech and language disorder. Research carried out by the Language and Genetics Department and collaborators will identify further genetic variations associated with common types of atypical language processing, such as specific language impairment, dyslexia, and synaesthesia. I want to investigate how these genetic variations affect the expression and function of proteins in brain cells, in order to understand the events involved in typical development of the language faculty. Complex regulatory networks govern the processes of neuronal migration, differentiation, and synaptic connectivity that contribute to sophisticated brain functions like language. Consistent with this, FOXP2 is a transcription factor, regulating expression of other genes. I will use genes such as FOXP2 as starting points to uncover larger networks of molecular interactions. Initial investigations involve expressing tagged transcription factors in neuronal cell models, to enable identification of both the targeted regions of the genome and protein interaction partners. These protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions will be characterised using molecular and cell biological techniques, to build up a picture of the spatio-temporal interactions underlying construction of language-related circuits.