A hallmark of many diseases and cancers is a dysfunctional cytoskeleton. A properly functioning cytoskeleton is needed for a wide variety of cellular events ranging from cell shape to cell signaling and migration/metastasis. We use multidisciplinary approaches to study these dynamic structural elements in various processes including wound repair and nuclear architecture/organization. Our goal is to understand the role of these elements in regulating normal developmental events and how this regulation goes awry in diseases/cancers, thereby providing new avenues for possible therapeutic targets or to enhance the effectiveness of existing treatment modalities.

Current research efforts

Wound Repair

We are investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of single cell wound repair and its ensuing biological manifestations. We are taking both global (genetic screens) and specific approaches to identify the molecules, machineries, and pathways involved.

Mechanoregulation

We are investigating the ways in which cells perceive and then respond to mechanical cues during normal development, and the consequences of inappropriate regulation leading to developmental defects.

Nuclear Envelope Budding

We are investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underpinning Nuclear Envelope budding, a newly appreciated nuclear export pathway in which large macromolecular complexes exit the nucleus by budding through the nuclear envelope.