Nearly half of the nerves in the human brain and spinal cord are encased in a thick multilayered membrane - called a myelin sheath. Myelin sheaths, formed by glial cells known as oligodendrocytes, facilitate rapid signal propagation and maintain neuronal health. For decades the role of oligodendrocytes has been thought to simply maximize neuronal signaling speed. However, emerging evidence suggests that oligodendrocytes have a more interactive role in the nervous system, where myelin sheath size may tune neuronal signaling speeds to coordinate neural networks and, by being sensitive to neuronal activity, may be important for brain plasticity and learning. These roles are only beginning to be discovered.

Myelin sheaths are fundamental to a healthy nervous system. Multiple Sclerosis is the most prominent neurodegenerative disease resulting from myelin sheath loss. Many other neurodevelopmental diseases and disorders, psychiatric conditions, and neurodegenerative diseases throughout the lifespan are also associated with myelin alterations and loss.

There are many remaining questions about the impact of myelin sheath formation and maintenance to sculpting nervous system development, function, and contributions to disease. We aim to improve human health by understanding how myelin sheaths are formed and how their properties impact nervous system function.