Research
Our laboratory studies the mechanisms that regulate growth at the level of individual cells as well as the entire organism. We are interested in the growth that occurs during development to determine the eventual size and form of an organism. We are also interested in the mechanisms by which damaged tissue is replaced as a result of regenerative growth.
To understand the way that growth is regulated in both of these situations, we conduct genetic studies in the fruitfly, Drosophila melanogaster, to identify genes that regulate growth, cell proliferation and cell death. In addition to identifying some of the key regulators of tissue growth in Drosophila, our studies have also helped identify genes that are mutated in human cancers.
Our laboratory is currently engaged in the following areas of research (click on links for more details):
1) Regulation of growth in imaginal discs during development
2) Cell competition - a process by which cells in imaginal discs can eliminate their slower-growing neighbors
4) Regulation of cell proliferation during brain development
5) Mechanisms that regulate fat storage and energy homeostasis
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