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I am a postdoctoral research scholar in the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and the Tufts University Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. The overarching goal of my research is to understand how patterns are formed and maintained in regenerating systems.
Regeneration is a fascinating ability that certain animals have to regrow certain parts of their bodies. I study planaria flatworms, the absolute masters of regeneration, which can replace any lost organs or body parts. I'm working to understand what signals trigger regeneration of the correct structure in the correct place and how the patterns controlling these decisions are set up and maintained in the animal. Specifically, I'm interested in the role the nervous system plays in regeneration and how the nervous system is itself regenerated. I received a joint PhD from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University of Heidelberg, where I worked in the lab of Dr. Peter Lenart, investigating the mechanics of cell division and the patterns of the cell cycle in starfish oocyte meiosis. In this work I discovered a spatial patterning component of the cell cycle in very large cells which gives rise to an interesting mechanical phenomenon, the surface contraction wave, which precedes cell division. My training in cell biology, biophysics, and regenerative medicine, as well as a passion for collaboration with experts in computational modelling, allows me to tackle questions in a interdisciplinary and cross-scale approach to understand how individual cell behaviors and the patterns that arise from them allow for regeneration to happen. I am also a passionate microscopist and am interested in exploring and developing the potential of planaria as a system amenable to live-cell imaging. Outside of my experimental work, I am a passionate teacher and mentor for my undergraduate and graduate students. I also love science communication and outreach and try to talk about my research as much as possible to diverse audiences. So, if you have a question, about planaria, biology or science in general - ask me! |
Current research
My current research focuses on understanding how regeneration in planaria is organized and how the correct structures are formed in the correct place.
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PhD work
My PhD work was on understanding the mechanics of how starfish oocytes complete their meiotic cell division which turns them into fertilisable eggs.
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Teaching and Mentoring
Image credit: Marietta Schupp/EMBL photolab
I'm passionate about undergraduate education and love introducing students to working in a laboratory and the joys of research. |
Outreach and Science Communication
Showing of starfish and sea urchins to visitors at EMBL.
Photo credit: Marietta Schupp/EMBL photolab
I love sharing my passion for research with people and talking about my findings as well as how science is done to everyone. I especially enjoy sharing the fascination of science with kids and want to motivate more people to study STEM subjects.
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