Education
- PhD, 2011, University of São Paulo Heart Institute
- MSc, Molecular Biology, 2008, University of Brasilia
- BS, 2005, Biology, University of Brasilia
Research Summary
By utilizing an innovative and intersectional approach, our lab main goal is to reveal fundamental immune-related pathways that modulate organ and tissue physiology. Our work will help to develop new strategies to tune these molecular pathways in health and disease, leading to the development of much-needed therapeutic approaches for human diseases.
Awards
- CAPES Thesis Award – Brazil, 2012
Education
- PhD, 2017, MIT; MD, 2018, Harvard Medical School
- Undergraduate: BS, 2010, Biology, Duke University
Research Summary
We aim to understand how tissues sense and respond to damage with the goal of developing novel treatments for diverse human diseases. We focus on the mammalian liver, which has the unique ability to completely regenerate itself, in order to identify the molecular requirements for effective organ repair. To this end, we innovate genetic, molecular, and cellular tools that allow us to investigate and modulate organ injury and regeneration directly within living organisms.
Awards
- NIH Director’s Early Independence Award, 2018
- Henry Asbury Christian Award, 2018
Education
- PhD, 2015, Case Western Reserve University
- BS, 2010, Biochemistry, Marquette University
Research Summary
Our lab studies genetic and epigenetic variation that contributes to human disease by disrupting gene expression programs. We utilize biological insights into the mechanisms of gene regulation in order to determine the impact of disease-associated variants on cellular function. We aim to identify actionable insights into disease pathogenesis by studying the confluence of genetic and epigenetic risk factors of human diseases, including multiple sclerosis and opioid use disorder.
Awards
- NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program Avenir Award, 2017
Education
- PhD, 2014, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- BA, 2008, Biology, Franklin and Marshall College
Research Summary
We study how cells regulate the spatial organization of signaling molecules at the plasma membrane to control downstream signaling. For example, receptor clustering and higher-order assembly with cytoplasmic proteins can create compartments with unique biochemical and biophysical properties. We use quantitative experimental approaches from biochemistry, molecular biophysics, and cell biology to study transmembrane signaling pathways and how they are misregulated in diseases like cancer.
Awards
- NSF Career Award, 2025
- Searle Scholar, 2022
- NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, 2022
- AFOSR Young Investigator Award, 2021
- Brown-Goldstein Award, 2020
- Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Breakthrough Scientist, 2020
Education
- PhD, 2012, Chemical Biology, Harvard University
- BS, 2006, Life Sciences, Peking University
Research Summary
We are fascinated by how and why cells organize into spatial patterns within tissues, aiming to uncover the fundamental design principles that govern tissue form and function. To explore this, we adopt a bottom-up approach to reconstitute multicellular patterns in vitro using synthetic biology tools, guided by mathematical modeling. In parallel, we study how patterns emerge in natural tissues and investigate their functional roles, using a combination of quantitative imaging, mouse genetics, machine learning, and stem cell engineering. Our current focus is on the patterning of the embryonic and adult lung. Through these complementary efforts, we strive to achieve a quantitative, multi-scale understanding of tissue development and to create new strategies for tissue engineering.
Awards
- Teaching Prize for Undergraduate Education, MIT School of Science, 2023
- Allen Distinguished Investigator, The Paul Alen Frontiers Group, 2021
- New Innovator Award, National Institutes of Health Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research Program, 2021
- R.R. Bensley Award in Cell Biology, American Association for Anatomy, 2021
- Santa Cruz Developmental Biology Young Investigator Award, 2016
- NIH Pathway to Independence Award K99/R00 (NICHD), 2016
- American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015
