David Kang, neuroscience concentrator, has been selected as the recipient of this year’s John E. Dowling Thesis Prize for his outstanding senior thesis, “Pannexin-1 activity regulates neurogenesis and cell survival in the developing cortex.“, David conducted this work in the lab of Dr. Christopher Walsh at Boston Children’s Hospital, where he has been a dedicated member since his sophomore year.
David’s thesis stood out not only for the rigor and clarity of his written work and oral defense, but also for the exceptional amount of experimental work he completed and the significance of the insights he uncovered. His project focused on the role of Pannexin-1, a signaling channel, in the developing cortex—a complex and poorly understood arena of brain development.
“David tackled a challenging and ambitious project,” said Ryan Draft, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies, Neuroscience, who oversaw the thesis review process. “His work exemplifies what we hope to see in the very best undergraduate research: technical sophistication, deep engagement with the literature, and a clear drive to answer an important biological question.”
Dowling himself chose Kang as the recipient of this year’s prize. “David’s thesis is a gem!” he says. “Not only well written, it describes a large number of experiments, using highly sophisticated techniques, that yielded important results which are contributing significantly to our understanding of neurogenesis and the development of the brain’s cortex.”
To investigate the function of Pannexin-1 (PANX1), David employed a diverse set of experimental techniques, including molecular cloning, in utero electroporation in ferrets, time-lapse microscopy, and both RNA and protein characterization. This multimodal approach allowed him to examine how PANX1 influences both neurogenesis and cell survival at key developmental time points.
“I sought to examine how variants of PANX1 alter ATP release, neuronal migration, and cell survival using mice and ferret models,” Kang explains. “My findings demonstrate that PANX1 gain-of-function mutations impair cortical histogenesis by disrupting purinergic signaling and laminar organization. Through this project, I hope to shed light on the pathogenesis of malformations of cortical development.”
One of the most remarkable aspects of David’s work, according to Draft, was his ability to navigate such a wide range of experimental methods. “This thesis was a joy to read. From manipulating gene expression in a complex animal model to live imaging of neural cells, he showed maturity and skill far beyond what’s typical for an undergraduate scientist,” he says. It was not just an impressive feat of technical execution, but also a clear and compelling story that contributed something genuinely new to the field.”
David’s findings open new doors for understanding how neuronal populations are regulated during early brain development—insights that may have implications for understanding neurodevelopmental disorders.
David is incredibly honored to receive the award, a distinction he did not expect at all. “I was having a great time with my friends at the ceremony, as Ryan called my name as the winner of the prize,” he recalls. “Given that my friends who are also doing neuroscience research are exceptional students, I was grateful and honored.”
David is particularly honored as one of his mentors, Norma Hylton, who was his director mentor throughout his tenure with the Walsh lab and is now a 5th-year MD/PhD student at Harvard Medical School, was the first to receive the John Dowling Prize back in 2018. “To be able to carry forth her legacy seven years later and celebrate with her was definitely a highlight of my year.”
“It has been such a memorable journey over the past few years, and I attribute that to the incredibly supportive neuroscience community,” Kang says. “All the students and faculty have become like a family to me, and I will forever be grateful to them. Additionally, I would like to thank my younger brother, Philip, who has profound autism and developmental delay, for inspiring me to pursue studies in neuroscience. I aspire to become a physician who can help those like him all over the world.”
The John E. Dowling Thesis Prize is awarded annually to the most outstanding thesis in Neurobiology, and it reflects the highest standards of scholarship in the field.
