The research of Dhruv Sareen, PhD, focuses on molecular pathogenesis underlying neuro-developmental and -degenerative diseases, as well as understanding the molecular basis of signals that converge in the brain to impact energy metabolism and homeostasis in obesity. His research employs human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based disease-in-a-dish models to understand the neurobiology of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and obesity. Bio-engineer human stem cell based ex vivo organ models. Sareen developed screening assays to test direct molecular therapeutics by high-content imaging in the iPSC-based cellular models. For Answer ALS, Dr. Sareen is leading the generation of up to 1,000 unique stem cell (iPSC) lines and motor neurons from ALS patients and healthy controls.