Using the awesome regenerative powers of the planarian flatworm (which is able to regenerate any and all tissues, even brain!), our lab investigates the signals that initiate and regulate regeneration. Planarians are remarkable in that they can regenerate an entire worm from just a tiny fragment of the original. This allows us to study how all the many different activities (cell migration, cell division, gene regulation, cell-cell communication, even cell death) are coordinated across thousands of cells, so that regenerating planarians always end up looking like a stereotypical “planarian.”  

​

Our research is focused on signaling pathways: such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling that regulates the induction of new tissue growth, and the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway that regulates the termination of neural growth. In partnership with our physics and engineering collaborators, we are also investigating the possible use of quantum phenomena, such as changes in radical pair recombination rates by magnetic fields, to manipulate adult stem cell activity in vivo. Although our lab does basic (not translational) research, our work is aimed at supporting the development of future therapies in cancer and regenerative medicine.

​