Thomas Perlmann, Ph.D., director, Ludwig Cancer Institute, Stockholm Branch; professor of molecular development biology, Karolinska Institute

The vast complexity of the central nervous system raises challenging questions concerning the specification and differentiation of specific types of neurons. Dopamine neurons in the midbrain are clinically important cells that degenerate in patients with Parkinson's disease and are also implicated in other neurological and psychiatric conditions. Dr. Perlmann and his colleagues are interested in unraveling the signaling and transcriptional regulation that govern the specification, differentiation and maintenance of these cells. Their studies have resulted in the identification of several transcription factors with key roles in these processes. This lecture will cover his group’s recent work on transcription factors with functions in both early specification events and in maintenance of dopamine neurons. It will also cover studies aimed at utilizing knowledge about transcriptional control of neuron specification in stem cell engineering of clinically relevant cell types.

Dr. Perlmann completed his undergraduate studies at Stockholm University and received his Ph.D. from the Karolinska Institute. After postdoctoral work with Ron Evans at the Salk Institute in San Diego, Dr. Perlmann established his independent research as an assistant professor at the Karolinska Institute in 1994. He currently holds a joint position as the director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, Stockholm Branch, and the Karolinska Institute, where he is a full professor. Dr. Perlmann is interested in the development of the central nervous system and has elucidated transcription factor pathways influencing the development and maintenance of mesencephalic dopamine cells.

Dr. Perlmann received the Eric K. Fernström Young Investigator Prize and the Göran Gustafsson Prize in Molecular Biology. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The Nicholson Lectures Program consists of two annual professors' lectures and is part of a cooperation agreement initiated in 2010 between The Rockefeller University and the Karolinska Institute. One Nicholson Lecture will be held at each of the universities by a visiting professor. The first lecture was awarded to Rockefeller University's Ralph Steinman.