RESEARCH PROJECTS

Primary cilia are filamentous signaling projections (aka "cellular antennae") that are highly conserved across evolution. Following their discovery in the mid-19th century, primary cilia have been largely dismissed by researchers as “vestigial” cellular appendages until the early 2000s. It was then that the signaling function of the primary cilia was extensively demonstrated. Now we know that primary cilia mediate transduction of all major signaling pathways and are essential for development and tissue homeostasis in vertebrates including humans.

 

Due to the key role of cilia in signal transduction and their nearly ubiquitous presence on human cells, cilia dysfunction results in pleiotropic genetic disorders called ciliopathies that affect most organ systems including the brain. Although considerable progress has been made in cataloging structural constituents of primary cilia, much remains to be discovered about the signaling mechanisms that modulate different aspects of cilia biology. Our research is centered around the following questions that are critically relevant to human health:

 

1. What are the signaling networks that regulate cilia assembly and function in neurons? How do cilia defects underlie neurological deficits in patients?

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2. What are the molecular mechanisms of cilia membrane biogenesis?

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3. How do cilia remodel in response to environmental stressors? 

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To address these research questions, we use the power of genetics afforded by C. elegans in combination with mammalian cell culture models. One key advantage of using C. elegans for cilia research is the fact that only a subset of sensory neurons is ciliated in the worm. As a result, unlike in mammals, cilia genes are not required for viability in C. elegans making this organism a powerful in vivo model for investigations into cilia biology.