Structural and cellular dynamics in vascular development

Abstract: My lab takes an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to studying embryogenesis and organogenesis by combining the power of molecular genetics with the splendor of advanced optical imaging within living embryos. We developed transgenic, fluorescent protein (FP) expressing Coturnix quail as an experimental system. Coturnix quail offer key experimental advantages in the accessibility of the embryo, the small size of its egg, the moderate size of the breeding adults, and its short generation time. Using advanced molecular, imaging, and computational approaches, we are systematically imaging and genetically analyzing amniote embryos throughout their development at subcellular resolution. To make sense of the control circuitry, we use detailed measurements, experimental and analytic techniques for acquisition of large-scale quantitative observations, and mathematical tools to help with the interpretation of such complex data sets.