How Evf2 lncRNA Advances Research in Brain and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Understanding how long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate gene expression and genome structure remains a major challenge in neuroscience. Researchers continue to face gaps in linking RNA-mediated chromatin organization with neurodevelopmental processes and disease mechanisms. This webinar will address that challenge by exploring new findings on Evf2 lncRNA, the first identified enhancer-associated lncRNA, and how it organizes genome architecture to control brain development.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of genome organization and gene activity, influencing how genes are switched on and off during brain development. Among them, Evf2 plays a defining role in coordinating these processes by linking chromatin structure to transcriptional control.

The featured speaker will discuss how Evf2 partitions chromosome 6 into activated and repressed domains, coordinating enhancer-gene interactions that regulate neurodevelopmental processes. The presentation will also cover how Evf2 recruits ribonucleoprotein complexes, forms large chromatin domains and connects RNA binding with transcription factor recognition. These findings are supported by single-cell transcriptomic and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) data that reveal how lncRNAs shape the three-dimensional genome.

Attendees will learn how lncRNA mechanisms organize enhancer-gene regulation, how advanced genomic tools reveal these processes and how these insights can inform studies of neurodevelopmental disorders and disease modeling.

Register for this webinar to learn how lncRNA mechanisms are reshaping neuroscience research and revealing new opportunities in functional genomics.

Speakers

Jhumku Kohtz, PhD, Professor in Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University

Jhumku D. Kohtz, PhD, is a Research Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University, specializing in RNA regulatory mechanisms during brain development. Her pioneering work uncovered how the Evf2 lncRNA regulates enhancer activity and gene expression, which are critical for interneuron differentiation, with a focus on chromatin architecture, disease risk and advanced omics technologies.

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Ibrahim Jivanjee, AVP and GM, Discovery Business, Arima Genomics

Ibrahim is the AVP and GM of the Discovery Business at Arima, with over 16 years in the biotech industry specializing in genomics. At Arima Genomics, Ibrahim has also been a Sr. Director of Product Management and Marketing.

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