Thyroid Hormones and the Brain

Delineating the roles of thyroid hormones in complex neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders

The Salas-Lucia laboratory integrates endocrinology and neurobiology to investigate how thyroid hormones mediate their effects in the developing and adult brain, with a focus on neural precursor cells, neurons, and microglia. To do so, we use advanced cellular models derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), including cerebral organoids and neurons, as well as several transgenic mouse lines. We combine epigenetics, transcriptomics, advanced imaging, bioenergetics and other molecular, cellular and biochemical techniques to understand why abnormal thyroid hormone levels correlate with neurodevelopmental outcomes and the prevalence of suffering neurodegenerative disorders.

We are grateful for the generous support of our funding sources:

UChicago SET Center

Pilot Grant

2025