Our research is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of epidermal stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Understanding the factors that govern this process is extremely important as perturbations in this intricate balance between growth and differentiation can lead to a variety of human skin disorders. Increased proliferation and diminished differentiation can lead to hyperproliferative disorders such as psoriasis, basal or squamous cell carcinomas. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the regulators of epidermal stem cell self-renewal and differentiation would be key to unlocking the molecular mechanisms underlying skin disorders and the possibility of developing better treatment for these debilitating disorders. We have focused on identifying epigenetic factors that have functional roles in promoting epidermal stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Our research in the future will continue to focus on identifying and characterizing novel regulators of epidermal homeostasis. Our ultimate goal is to define all the regulators that are important for stem cell self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenesis.
Research Focus Areas:
Developmental Biology | Genetics and Genomics | Gene Expression and Regulation | Stem Cell Biology