The Cowan Lab explores the genes and molecular mechanisms that control proper brain wiring during development, and they seek to understand the roles of these molecules in the young and adult brain under pathological conditions, such as autism, intellectual disability, drug addiction, and depression. The lab utilizes a broad array of experimental approaches to gain a better understanding about the underlying regulation, or dysregulation, of typical brain function, and they take an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to address these important topics for human mental health.