Research Interests

There are many examples throughout development where nuclei or other organelles migrate to a new position in the cell. We are recently examining a nuclear migration event where the nucleus must deform to squeeze through a narrow opening. Once the nucleus has migrated to the correct location, there are mechanisms to anchor the nucleus there. Defects in nuclear positioning can lead to developmental defects and diseases such as Lisencephaly and Muscular Dystrophy. However, very little is known about the mechanisms of nuclear positioning. We are using the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism to study how nuclei and other organelles are positioned within a cell. We use imaging, genetic, biochemical, and molecular approaches to study this basic problem in cell biology.

Graduate Program Affiliations

• Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology Graduate Group
• Integrative Genetics and Genomics Graduate Group
• Biophysics Graduate Group