Research in our lab focuses on the mechanisms by which specialized cells in animal bodies recognize invading organisms, alert other cells as to the threat, and bring about defenses that eliminate infection. Genetic, molecular and biochemical approaches are carried out in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, which provides a tractable model for dissecting the pathways … Continued
My group uses a highly interdisciplinary approach (integrating field work in Africa, empirical and computational analyses) to study human population genetics, human evolution, the genetic basis of adaptation, and genetic and environmental factors influencing variable anthropometric, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune-related traits. Our research focuses primarily on African population variation, a region that has been underrepresented … Continued
The overall goals of our research group are to better understand host/pathogen interactions in intestinal cells, to define the unique physiology of the epithelial cell response to infection, and to determine how this relates to the maintenance of proteostasis. In particular we study infection and response to microsporidia, which comprise a phylum of fungal-like obligate … Continued
My laboratory investigates questions related to organogenesis including cell differentiation, tissue morphogenesis, organ homeostasis and function, as well as organ regeneration. We study these questions in zebrafish as well as in mouse and are currently looking at several mesodermal (heart, vasculature) and endodermal (pancreas, lung) organs. We utilize both forward and reverse genetic approaches, and … Continued
The Staley Lab’s goal is to understand the mechanisms that underlie nuclear pre-mRNA splicing, an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression. Pre-mRNA splicing is catalyzed by a massive multimegadalton ribonucleoprotein machine called the spliceosome. Using the model organism S. cerevisiae, we apply genetic, biochemical, single molecule, and genomic approaches to gain a deeper understanding of … Continued
Our research, like our study organism, has evolved. For many years, we studied the evolution of morphology between Drosophila species. This work taught us that morphological evolution is caused mainly by changes in the portions of the genome that turn genes on and off, rather than in the parts of the genome that encode proteins. … Continued
We work on the interface of molecular biophysics and systems biology/evolution trying to understand biopjhysical underpinnings of evolutionary dynamicws
My lab addresses questions of cell motility: movement within the cell and movement of the cell as a whole. Our focus is on the microtubule cytoskeleton, the motors that power movement, and the cargo structures and molecules with which motors interact.
My group’s goal is to recover endogenous biomolecules from ancient (usually Mesozoic) fossils demonstrating exceptional preservation. We seek not only to demonstrate that these molecules survive; we want to use them to address fundamental questions regarding evolution, physiology, and relationships as well as fundamental aspects of biomolecules giving them high preservation potential. We also seek … Continued
I am a developmental biologist who studies the earliest stages of embryogenesis to understand how a single-celled egg develops into a complex multicellular organism. My group uses a transparent nematode (C. elegans) as a model system. Our team found a link between the divisions that halves the chromosomes in the egg and the signals that … Continued