Austin, Texas, United States
I am a developmental biologist interested in morphogenesis. Previously, I concentrated on normal morphogenesis of the embryo, including frog and zebrafish and for isolated tissues using mouse organotypic culture. I am now interested in the pathophysiology of morphogenesis, especially how it impacts adult form. I have developed expertise in diverse microscopy and cellular and molecular biology techniques. I have used these skills to begin studies of scoliosis in the zebrafish. Currently, I am concentrating on how to use genetics and genomics, including performing large scale forward mutant screens, generating and analyzing Illumina sequencing data sets, understanding human genetic (GWAS) data sets, and applying reverse genetics in zebrafish to evaluate human genetic data.
Utilize the zebrafish model identify novel genetic traits for normal spine development.
Utilized multi-position long-term confocal imaging to study mechanisms of tissue morphogenesis, using a organotypic mammary culture model.
Utilized the Xenopus laevis frog to develop fundemental embryological skills and elucidate novel molecular signals for the formation of the muco-ciliated epidermis.