Dr Andrew Hale

Research Interests

I am a Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Human Biology at UCT and resident physician in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. I am also a post-doctoral scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital in the lab of Kristopher Kahle. I obtained my MD and PhD degrees from Vanderbilt University.

I have a long-standing interest in elucidating the genetic and molecular basis of disorders encountered by neurosurgeons, including primary structural brain malformations and mechanisms governing response to neurologic injury using discovery-based, curiosity-driven approaches. I use complementary and convergent human genetic, functional genomic, molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemical methods to try to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of neurosurgical pathology.

At UCT, I am working with Dr Mubeen Goolam, alongside collaborators at Harvard and University of Cambridge, to build cerebral organoid models recapitulating the pathologic features of hydrocephalus, brain injury/infection, and other neurosurgical disorders. More broadly, I am interested in using discovery-based, mechanistic-driven approaches to understand the molecular underpinnings of neurosurgical disease to improve disease outcomes. I have a particular interest in expanding the use of genetic data in neurosurgical patients, capitalising on our unique access to bio specimens and as direct observers of pathobiology. I look forward to contributing to discovery and capacity expansion at the NI in the areas of human genetics, functional genomics, and stem cell biology.

Research Areas

Clinical Neuroscience • Developmental Neuroscience • Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience • Neurogenetics