SDB Member Links

The Alfandari lab, studies the regulation of cell migration during early frog development. Our current research focuses on the role of ADAM metalloproteases in cranial neural crest cell migration.

The Allen lab studies the regulation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling during vertebrate embryogenesis using a wide range of approaches, including mouse developmental genetics, chick in ovo electroporation, biochemistry, and cell biology.

works on mesodermal specification and segmentation using the zebrafish as a model.

The Antin lab studies lineage diversification and morphogenesis in the chicken embryo.

Our lab studies the function and evolution of multipotency and gene regulatory networks in indirectly developing sea urchins and polychaetes.

The Arur Lab studies germ cell development and developmental signaling events underlying co-ordinated progression of oogenesis in Caenorhabditis elegans.

research is focused on embryonic skin development and spans the developmental period of dermal cell induction including adult patterning of skin. There is relatively little known about the genetic and cellular events that lead to the acquisition of dermal identity. Our goal is to identify the genetic pathways that confer dermal cell identity which subsequently drives the development of various skin appendages such as hair follicles. We are currently using transgenic mice and conditional mouse mutants to address questions of dermal cell origin and signaling requirements for dermal cell development.

studies gene regulation by cell signaling pathways in Drosophila development; structure and function of transcriptional enhancers (cis-regulatory elements); and enhancer evolution.

Uses the zebrafish model system to study axon guidance, axon-glial interactions, and the regulation of neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation.  Created the "Biology Web Conferences" as an online resource of recorded video conferences between undergraduate students and the principle investigators behind the much of the current and seminal research in the field of developmental Biology.

Focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms that lead to the formation of the mammalian body plan, the genesis of tissues and organs during embryogenesis and the pathology of developmental defects.

We use a combination of genetics, live cell imaging and large-scale transcriptional approaches to understand the interplay of asymmetric cell divisions, cell-cell communication and environmental inputs in the generation of cell fate and pattern in the plant epidermis. 

internationally known for establishing the plasticity of the differentiated state. Dr. Blau's elegant heterokaryon experiments proved that silent muscle genes could be activated in diverse specialized adult cells. Recently she showed that adult bone-marrow-derived stem cells are similarly plastic. Her innovative approaches have profoundly impacted biology and medicine.

Our research is on gene regulation, mainly as it pertains to developmental hemoglobin (Hb) switching. We have discovered that an iron-binding protein, ferritin heavy chain (FtH) has a nuclear form that represses the adult-expressed beta-globin gene and activates the embryonically/fetally-expressed gamma-globin gene in human erythroid cells. Reversing the fetal-to-adult Hb switch in children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) or beta-thalassemia is know to provide a phenotypic cure of these genetic diseases while also making the red blood cells resistant to malaria infection.

studies pattern formation in regenerating and developing vertebrate limbs.

We are interested in organ morphogenesis and patterning.  We are specifically focused on left-right patterning and the role of Nodal signaling in this process.  Additionally we are interested in understanding how cilia function in development, both in left-right patterning and in kidney cyst formation.

Research interests include middle ear induction and patterning, the role of Fgfs in inner ear patterning and tail organiser function in avians.

works on morphogenesis of the auditory sensory organ. The main focus is cellular patterning and polarization during development.

studies signaling in mouse neural development and behavior, focusing on novel Dvl-interacting genes.

Development of the cardiovascular system of zebrafish, with a particluar interest in angiogenesis and vascular integrity

The Chitnis lab studies how interactions between cells during early development lead to the self-organization of a functional nervous system in zebrafish. The laboratory uses a combination of cellular, molecular and genetic tools to identify genetic regulatory networks that direct early development in the nervous system. We also build computational models to understand how interactions identified through biological experiments lead to the emergence of patterned development. Current projects are directed toward understanding the genetic regulatory networks that coordinate cell fate and morphogenesis during development of the zebrafish hindbrain and the lateral line system.

The Clements laboratory uses zebrafish to investigate two major questions:  What are the molecular and cellular components of the developmental specification niche for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)?  How are normal signaling pathways co-opted during malignant transformation to induce cellular proliferation and migration—desirable processes when building an organism that can cause disease when activated in adult life?

Our research on sea urchin embryogenesis seeks to define genomic and cell physiological regulatory systems that control cell proliferation, differentiation, and the developmental specification of cell fate.

We use genetics and time-lapse imaging in zebrafish to study the three-dimensional patterning of the vertebrate head skeleton. In addition, we are interested in the origins of the skeletogenic neural crest and their role in tissue regeneration.

manages the GEISHA database (Gallus Expression In Situ Hybridization Analysis) with PI Parker Antin. The goal is to provide a comprehensive collection of embryonic chick gene expression images and associated metadata.

works on cell-cell signaling, lineage specification and transcriptional networks in the basal chordate Ciona intestinalis.

Our group works on the cellular mechanics and the physical mechanisms of morphogenesis. Our goals are to unravel the physical mechanical principles of tissue morphogenesis and to use these principles to control tissue assembly.

Igor Dawid's lab is interested in molecular mechanisms underlying differentiation and pattern formation in the early vertebrate embryo, in particular with respect to the establishment of the body pattern at gastrulation. These questions are being pursued in Xenopus laevis and in the zebrafish.

The de Bellard lab works on neural crest and glial cell migration and evolution.

studies the development of zebrafish muscle cell identity.

works on regulation of gene expression in notochord development, using as a model system the ascidian Ciona intestinalis.

studies evolution of flower development in basal Eudicots

studies studies developmental patterning in embryos and stem cell function during spermatogenesis.

works on neural patterning, neural stem cells, and neural cell lineage in Drosophila.

studies the mechanism of retinoic acid action during organogenesis using mouse embryos lacking retinoic acid-synthesizing enzymes and other genetic approaches to understand the relationship between RA, FGF, and Wnt signaling.

studies the molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian development.

Cell behavior on diverse extracellular matrices

We are interested in how genetics and the environment influence craniofacial morphogenesis and cause variability in the craniofacial skeleton.

uses advanced timelapse microscopy and molecular genetics to study the normal development of epithelial tissues and to understand how  normal cellular processes are co-opted during tumor growth, invasion and metastasis.  His laboratory currently focuses on the coordinate role of growth factor signaling and extracellular matrix composition and structure in regulating cellular strategies of invasion in normal mammary development and breast cancer.

Combines chick embryology and mouse genetics to understand the molecular regulation of neural crest formation, migration, and guidance.

The Gamse lab studies the formation of left-right asymmetry in the vertebrate brain, using the zebrafish diencephalon as a model.

Two major research areas in include: mechanisms that direct early zebrafish morphogenesis (especially epiboly), and development of morphology and rhythm in the zebrafish embryonic heart.

RNA localization and translational regulation during development in Drosophila

studies the roles of cytoskeletal motility in development, using early C. elegans embryos, especially during cell polarization and morphogenesis

studies the role of Integrins in cell migration using EC cells, and the role of Hedgehog genes in early mouse development, using both ES cells and mouse embryos mutant for genes in the hedgehog signalling pathway.

The Gross lab utilizes zebrafish as a model system in which to study eye development.

Studies development and regeneration of the inner ear, and the role of Forkhead genes in craniofacial development.

studies evolutionary developmental biology; focusing on cranial development, neural crest migration, and the endocrinology of morphology.

focuses on understanding early vertebrate development at the molecular level. They study this problem in both the amphibian Xenopus, and in the mouse. Xenopus embryos are large and easily manipulated, so that the function of various macromolecules, such as RNA and protein, can be assayed by microinjection into living embryos. Functional assays in Xenopus can then be complemented by genetic knockouts in the mouse, to gain fuller understanding of the normal requirements for gene action in the developing embryo.

The Hilton Lab studies genetic regulation of cartilage development and disease, with a primary focus on identifying the molecular mechanisms by which the Notch signaling pathway controls 1) skeletal stem cell maintenance and proliferation, 2) chondrocyte (cartilage cell) differentiation and proliferation, and 3) articular cartilage (joint) maintenance.

Studies molecular mechanisms that control cellular diversity in the nervous system.

focuses on the genetic regulation of inductive tissue interactions in mammalian development by using the mouse as the primary research model.

The Holley lab studies pattern formation and morphogenesis during zebrafish segmentation.

We are interested in questions of how organs are formed and shaped during development, with specific emphases on the role of epithelial morphogenesis and cell-ECM interactions in this process.  Our approach combines the best experimental attributes of the Drosophila and zebrafish model systems.

Our lab focuses on the specification and differentiation of neural crest-derived autonomic neurons. We use both avian and mouse models and employ a variety of molecular, cellular and genetic approaches. We are interested in understanding the molecular basis of neurogenesis and regulation of cell type-specific gene expression in generating neuronal diveristy.

The goal of our lab is to explore how intercellular signaling pathways are integrated during developmental and regenerative responses of the liver. Our projects use genetic mouse models and in vitro culture systems to answer questions related to progenitor/stem cell lineage restriction. These studies will provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms guiding normal processes that pattern liver architecture and how these processes may be involved in chronic liver diseases and pathologies.

We use genetic, molecular, and high-throughput approaches to examine the transcriptional control of floral development, organogenesis and petal cell-type specific differentiation; we also are exploring the regulation of stem cell proliferation.  In addition, we study the evolution of developmental pathways and gene networks in plants.

works on function and cis-regulation of developmental transcription factors using ascidians as model organisms.

The Joyner laboratory studies mammalian brain development and the biology of adult stem cells using mouse as a model organism.

works on the signaling and transcriptional networks that establish lineage identity and pattern in the vertebrate gastrula.

Our main focus is to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for development and regeneration of teeth, facial skeleton, taste papillae, and other organs.

Works on the gene networks that control germ layer and tissue formation in Xenopus and mammalian stem cells, as well as the development of a Biology Concept Inventory (@bioliteracy.net), to assess students conceptual learning.

studies gene regulatory networks in mouse preimplantation embryos and ES cells, using systematic genomics approaches.

My lab is using genome scale approaches to understand processes of development. There are two main projects in the lab. The first involves the nuclear hormone receptor family of ligand activated transcription factors, while the second project focuses on the process of transcript localization within cells and how this localization affects the functions of encoded proteins.

focuses on cellular and molecular processes that form and pattern the neural plate and on the transcriptional regulation of neurogenesis, using Xenopus embryos and mammalian stem cells as systems.

studies how the precise patterns of neural circuitry are assembled that underlie functional behaviors, including locomotion, perception, and memory. Specifically, they are interested in cellular and molecular mechanisms that guide motor axons and neural crest to their targets in the periphery.

studies the genes that control development and regeneration in the green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis, and the genetic regulation of somitogenesis in the mouse.

studies for the formation and development of the vertebrate neural crest and the modulation of regulatory factor function by post-translational mechanisms.

The Ladd lab studies pre-mRNA alternative splicing regulation and its role in vertebrate heart development and function.  We use in vitro approaches in combination with cell culture, chick embryo, and transgenic mouse models.

Studies development and regeneration in zebrafish, including the craniofacial skeleton, vertebrae, limbs, caudal fin and skin appendages.  Currently investigating Wnts/glypicans and FGFs in the regeneration of the adult zebrafish maxillary barbel (ZMB), as well as revascularization, peripheral nerve repair and immune response in this organ.

focuses on oocyte maturation at both the molecular and cell physiology levels. Model systems include: the leopard frog (Rana pipiens), zebrafish (Brachydanio rerio), goldfish (Carassius auratus) and the african clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). At present we are particularly interested in large macromolecular complexes in oocytes.

Focuses largely on how noncoding regions of the genome function to control the differential patterns of gene expression, both spatial and temporal, that define cell behavior.

Studies how spinal cord interneurons are specified, primarily using zebrafish as a model organism

Studies cell signaling during ocular development and disease using primarily the zebrafish model.

research focuses on mechanisms of cytoplasmic RNA localization and the genetic control of morphogenesis using Drosophila as a model.

studies the molecular and genetic mechanisms mediating the phototropic response in Arabidopsis thaliana.

We study the C. elegans germ line, focusing on the molecular mechanisms that maintain the balance between stem cell proliferation and gametogenesis and on the role of small RNA pathways in germline development

We use the zebrafish system to unravel the mechanisms that regulate oocyte polarization.  We are also interested in understanding how vertebrate oocyte polarity impinges upon polarized follicle cell fate determination, and whether reciprocal signaling influences oocyte pattern.

works on early development of gene regulatory networks in the sea urchin, specifically on how gene regulatory networks govern morphogenesis at gastrulation.

works on the evolutionary origins of Hox proteins. A long term objective of their research is to understand the molecular interactions that underlie functional specificity in the Hox patterning system.

investigate how signal transduction mechanisms serve to regulate cellular behaviors (i.e. proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and differentiation) during organ development in Xenopus laevis embryos. Our studies include examination of the early specification of tissues (such as the heart and kidney) as well as later patterning and subsequent morphogenesis of embryonic organs.

studies potential contributions of differential cell division and cell death in early morphogenesis of chick and mouse embryos in order to place an organismal perspective on dynamics of the cell cycle.

Works on the early development of the nervous system using the zebrafish as a model.

focuses on: the role of maternal determinant molecules in establishing the dorsal axis/central nervous system; the identification of the upstream regulatory regions of a neuron-specific beta-tubulin gene; the determination of amacrine cell fates in the retina; fate maps in Xenopus laevis.

Studying the molecular mechanisms by which a BMP (Bone Morphogenetic Protein) signal transduction pathway establishes different aspects of the vertebrate body plan.

Genetic analysis of cell polarity genes in Drosophila photoreceptor morphogenesis.

focuses in molecular and cellular mechanisms underlaying mouse pattern formation and organogenesis.

The Ornitz laboratory studies Fibroblast Growth Factor signaling pathway regulation of development and regeneration in the inner ear, lung, heart, and skeletal system. We are interested in developmental mechanisms regulating organogenesis and how these pathways are reactivated for tissue regeneration, response to injury, and cancer.

focuses on understanding the role of bone morphogenetic protein signaling in regulating self renewal versus differentiation of nephron progenitor cells during embryonic development and in the regenerative response to kidney injury.

studies mouse germ cell development and oogenesis

The Prince lab studies axial patterning using the zebrafish as a model.  We have a long standing interest in hindbrain patterning and the role of Hox genes, with a current focus on facial branchiomotor neuron migration through the hindbrain.  In addition, we are studying regionalization of the endoderm with a special emphasis on development of the pancreas and understanding the cell fate choices that lead to functional pancreatic islets.

studies the development of neural crest and placodes in zebrafish.

The Rock lab studies stem cells in lung development, maintenance and disease.  

studies the genetic control of many aspects of early mouse development.

Studies the molecular events guiding adult somatic stem cells, tissue homeostasis and regeneration in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea.

We study nervous system development in a variety of arthropods, including Drosophila melanogaster and vector mosquitoes.

Uses genetics and molecular biology to study pattern formation in the early zebrafish embryo

Evolutionary developmental biology, particularly combining paleontology, developmental biology and genetics to examine the developmental mechanisms that drive morphologic diversification in mammals.

studies  the development of the nervous system in Xenopus, with an emphasis on the sensory systems responsible for hearing and balance. The lab is interested in mechanosensory hair cell differentiation and innervation during inner ear organogenesis and morphogenesis. As part of this effort the lab studies ion channel expression during acoustico-vestibular development.

focuses on the mechanisms that establish embryonic polarity and germ cell fate in the C. elegans embryo.

focuses on the molecular mechanisms of gut development and on how blood platelets are created from megakaryocytes.

Shostak, S., Evolution of Death: Why We Are Living Longer. Albany: SUNY Press; 2006.

Shostak, S., Becoming Immortal: Combining Cloning and Stem-cell Research. Albany: SUNY Press; 2002.

Shostak, S., Evolution of Sameness and Difference: Perspectives on the Human Genome Project. Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Publishers; 1999.

Shostak, S., Death of Life: The Legacy of Molecular Biology. London: Macmillan; 1998.

The Silver lab uses genetic and cell biological approaches to study asymmetric division of neural stem cells in the developing mouse brain.

is interested in the developmental regulation of flowering and also inflorescence architecture in the garden pea.

studies anteroposterior patterning in the frog, Xenopus laevis, and the fish, Danio Rerio.

Organogenesis, regeneration and metaplasia. Mechanisms of regeneration of the Xenopus tadpole tail. Methods for reprogramming of non-pancreatic cell types to become pancreatic beta cells.

Our group studies Wnt signaling and cell polarity during neural and neural crest development using Xenopus embryos and mammalian stem cells.  At the cellular level, we are interested in the mechanisms of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and asymmetric cell division during gastrulation and neurulation.

Our laboratory studies growth factor signaling pathways that have important roles in mouse craniofacial and early embryonic development. We are studying the formation of the midface, and assessing how this is regulated by signaling pathways engaged by PDGF, FGF and ephrin signaling. We are also studying how growth factor signaling controls the formation and maintenance of stem cell types in the early embryo.

investigates changes in cell membranes at fertilization and early development, involving lipids and lipid altering enzymes.

takes a genetic approach in zebrafish to study vertebrate endoderm, heart and blood vessel formation and function. They are working with several mutations that affect distinct aspects of endodermal and/or cardiovascular development.

We study mechanisms regulating neural crest development and neural crest-derived tumors, such as melanoma and neuroblastoma.

studies the control of gene activation during embryonic development and how developmental genes may influence morphology and larval life history. Their primary work is done studying primitive chordates, ascidians, in which closely related species have evolved amazingly different larval morphologies and life histories.

The Taneyhill lab studies the molecular mechanisms underlying neural crest cell EMT, migration and differentiation, with a particular focus on cytoskeletal and cell junction proteins during these processes.

The Tootle lab studies the molecular mechanisms of prostaglandin action using Drosophila oogenesis. Our current research is focused on understanding how prostaglandins, lipid signals, regulate actin cytoskeletal remodeling.

The Torday-Rehan laboratory utilizes a well-established paracrine signaling model to determine cell-molecular mechanisms of lung development. By focusing on the cellular-molecular basis for lung surfactant biology in adaptation to oxygen, both within and across species, from fish to mammals, we have identified Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) for lung evolution. We have shown how this same fundamental cell-cell communication approach can be exploited to determine the cell-molecular basis for the evolution of other tissues and organs, leading to our understanding of the first principles of physiology.

The Torii lab uses Arabidopsis stomatal development as a model to study how plant cells coordinate proliferation and differentiation during organ morphogenesis to generate beautiful, orderly patterns. We take molecular genetic, live imaging, and biochemical/materials engineering approaches to understand cell-cell signaling and inter-tissue layer communication medicate by peptide ligands-receptors, asymmetric cell division, and stem cell differentiation in plants.

Studies the genetic programs, cellular behaviors and physiological factors that assemble the vasculature using the zebrafish

fields of study: growth cone motility and guidance; axon guidance, in vivo; muscle differentiation and morphogenesis; neural crest migration; and neural patterning.

Modulation of Developmental Origins of Disease Risk Factors by Dietary Bioactive compounds in C. elegans and chick embryo models.

The Wallingford lab works at the interface between developmental and cell biology, examing the mechanisms by which individual cells, acting collectively, drive tissue morphogenesis in vertebrate embryos. 

studies the role of small RNAs including microRNAs in plant development. In a separate project, his group investigates how mutation and

selection shape the adaption of plants to their environment, and how species boundaries appear as a byproduct of these evolutionary forces.

studies developmentally regulated organelle transport, in particular the mechanisms by which cells control specificity, timing and destination of transport. Our main focus is the motion of lipid droplets in Drosophila embryos, but we also investigate how nuclei migrate in eyes and during oogenesis. A new interest of the lab concerns developmentally controlled protein sequestration and the model that lipid droplets serve as temporary storage sites for maternally deposited proteins.

The PRIMO site focuses on the molecular biology of fertilization and early development in mice, starfish, and sea urchins.

studies cell fate specification and patterning using zebrafish.

studies the mechanisms by which cell fates and patterns are determined during embryonic development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, using techniques of genetics, cell biology, and molecular biology.

lab utilizes zebrafish and Xenopus to study Left-Right axis formation in the heart, gut, and brain. These pathways include midline (notochord and neural) development, TGF-beta cell-cell signaling, non-canonical Wnt signaling, and the roles of syndecans in cell signaling, cell migration, fibrillogenesis and heart formation. In addition, we are developing the use of zebrafish genetics to identify modifier genes in cancer development. Collaborative studies extrapolate our results in zebrafish to human genetics, using Utah human genetic databases to discover new genes in cardiovascular development.

studies the molecular basis of cell-cell signalling over time and space in vertebrate embryos. They use predominantly mouse molecular genetics in combination with embryonic manipulation to study the mechanisms which (1) control establishment of the limb bud organiser (polarsing region), (2) morphogenetic signalling and signal relay during limb bud development, (3) the role of cell-cell signalling during CNS development.

The Zeller laboratory studies the development of the central and peripheral nervous systems in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. Our laboratory takes an integrated approach towards understanding developmental mechanisms by combining cell and molecular techniques with classical experimental embryology approaches.