As an ISCRM Undergraduate Fellow, Lily Nguyen aims to address the role of two core signaling pathways (Notch and Hedgehog) in maintaining the structural integrity of the developing nervous system. In the Kong Lab, she will treat cortical spheroids derived from embryonic stem cells with specific inhibitors to observe changes in cell adhesion and polarity. The long term goal is to establish cortical spheroids as a model in which to screen for disease-causing mutations and the pathogenesis of diseases such as hydrocephalus.