b'zeroing in on this specific interaction, Nguyen hopes to untangle how cohesin contributes to disease, and how researchers can create a foundation for future therapies to address these diseasesincluding cohesinopathies, certain forms of autism, and cancer. Before you can fix a problem, you have to understand how the system works, she says. Thats what were doing: basic biology that lays the groundwork for life-changing treatments.CSU Researcher Traces Autism Disorder CausesChristopher Vaaga, Ph.D., an assistant pro-fessor at CSU, is approaching neurodevel-A $250,000 grant from Boettcher Foundations Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards Program supportsopmental disorders from a different angle: Nguyens research. through the cerebellum, a brain region histor-ically associated with motor function. Vaagas everything: DNA organization, repair, expres- PRR12 gene have been linked to developmentalpath to neuroscience began in high school, sion, and replication, Nguyen explains.delays, autism, craniofacial abnormalities, andwhere a course on how humans acquire Despite its significant and versatile role in thesevere eye disorders. These are traits com- knowledgesparkedhiscuriosityabout body, the question still remains: how does onemonly seen in a group of genetic disordersthe brain. That spark evolved into a deep protein complex do so many jobs? Nguyensknown as cohesinopathies. interest in how brain circuits form and how lab is focusing on the mystery of cohesin byWhat we discovered is that PRR12 acts likethey might go awry in neurodevelopmental studying another protein, PRR12, which wasa switch, guiding cohesin specifically to DNAdisorders. His research now centers on the previously uncharacterized. Nguyen and herbreaks without disrupting its other functions,cerebellum, where growing evidence suggests team discovered that PRR12 acts like a guide,Nguyen says.its influence reaches far beyond coordination helping the DNA-protecting complex of cohesinNguyen and her team use cutting-edge toolsand balance. find and respond to damage in the genome.like a light-inducible CRISPR system to trackEmerging research suggests the cerebellum This connection became even more intriguingthe timing and role of cohesin in DNA repair,also helps regulate cognition, emotion, and when the team found that mutations in theright down to the minute a break occurs. Bysocial behavior, Vaaga explains. Disruptions In a time when federal funding is uncertain, support like this is essential.CHRISTOPHER VAAGA, Ph.D., DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, COLLEGE OF VETERINARY, MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES, CSUBoettcher Foundation awarded a total of $1.75M to seven researchers, including Vaaga, in 2025.44 BIOSCIENCE COLORADO 2025-2026'