current projects

EPITHELIAL TISSUES, COMPOSED OF ADHERENT POLARIZED CELL SHEETS, SERVE A CRITICAL BARRIER FUNCTION throughout the body. such tissues, which include the skin, intestine, and mammary gland, HARBOR Stem cells that can proliferate extensively as well as generate diverse cell types. these features, which are essential to maintain tissue architectural and functional integrity, can also promote tumor formation. epithelia do not exist in a vacuum — they are surrounded by a complex microenvironment consisting of MANY DISTINCT cell POPULATIONS that impact stem cell behavior. we USE THE mOUSE EPIDERMIS AND ITS SUBAPPENDAGES to understand how extrinsic signals dictate epithelial stem cell function in developmental, damage and disease contexts. the goal of OUR research is to exploit the microenvironment to develop more targeted regenerative and cancer therapies.

  • Role of the Microenvironment in Skin Cancer DEVELOPMENT

    Cutaneous skin carcinomas, which include basal and squamous cell carcinoma, are the most commonly occurring cancers in humans. Despite their prevalence, however, the mechanisms that promote the development of these cancers remain poorly understood. We are applying confocal imaging, organoid culture, cancer mouse models, primary human specimens, and RNA sequencing to understand how non-epithelial populations that reside within the skin dermis impact epidermal stem cell function to promote tumorigenesis.