Premature birth affects 10% of pregnancies and can cause lasting brain damage through cycles of oxygen deprivation and restoration. In this project, we are using miniature human brain tissue — called organoids — to study exactly how this oxygen deprivation injury disrupts neural connections. Using a novel molecular tagging tool, developed through a collaboration between Dr. Anca Hratinski and Dr. Ruth Huttenhain, we can now pinpoint which proteins malfunction at the junction between neurons and their support cells during oxygen deprivation: early findings suggest that one of the key cellular traffic-control pathway gets stuck after oxygen is restored, causing synaptic debris to accumulate and continue to impair function. The project will test whether targeting this pathway during recovery can prevent long-term damage, with applications not only for preterm babies, but also for adults with stroke, heart attacks, severe lung or heart diseases.