The research in my laboratory centers on the general question of how the neural tube, the precursor of the Central Nervous System (which comprises the brain and spinal cord), is assembled during early embryogenesis. Neural tube defects are the most common severely disabling birth defects in the United States, with a frequency of approximately 1 in every 2000 births. In addition to this clinical relevance, studies on neural tube formation offer the opportunity to explore fundamental questions at the interface between Cell and Developmental Biology.
My laboratory uses the zebrafish to investigate mechanisms of neural tube development, as this model system lends itself well to experimental manipulation, visualization of cell behaviors and gene discovery. We have focused on understanding: (1) the cellular basis of neurulation (the dynamic rearrangements of neural precursor cells over time to shape the neural tube); (2) the role of cell-cell interactions in neural and mesodermal development and (3) the regulation of cell polarity during neurulation.
The similarity between neurulation in zebrafish and in other verebrates suggests that the molecular mechanisms we identify in the zebrafish will provide a valuable framework for exploring the basis of human disorders.