UVA School of Medicine

The formation of an entire organism from a single cell is one of the most remarkable processes in biology. It requires coordinated regulation of cell division, differentiation, polarity and migration. Ultimately, individual cells, often from disparate lineages with unique properties, assemble into tissues with specialized functions. Delineating the molecular regulation of these fascinating processes is not only fundamental to understanding the rules that govern tissue and organ formation, but also mechanisms of homeostasis which, when disrupted, lead to the progression of many disease states.  Remarkable advances in optical microscopy and live cell imaging now make it possible to visualize complex processes from the sub-cellular level to single cells and from tissues to whole embryos. Combined with traditional genetics, powerful gene-editing technologies and genome-level analyses, developmental biologists now have an unprecedented set of tools available to probe mechanistic underpinnings of complex biological processes. Research at UVA features rich and diverse training in modern Developmental Biology from a creative and internationally-recognized faculty. Our research in developmental biology employs the latest cellular, molecular, biophysical and microscopic technologies to perform studies in engineered mutant mice, Drosophila, Xenopus, C. elegans, and Zebrafish to define mechanisms that coordinately regulate tissue morphogenesis.

Insights into these fundamental developmental mechanisms will enable scientists to modulate the commitment of pluripotent human stem cells toward specific cell types and organoids. Breakthrough discoveries in fundamental developmental mechanisms are thus a prerequisite for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Understanding the mechanisms that govern tissue development is also needed to promote tissue regeneration, and for defining processes that are dysregulated in the progression of prevalent diseases, including cancer, atherosclerosis and neurodegeneration. New efforts are under way to bridge developmental biologists with genomic and translational scientists to create a Developmental Genomics Center at UVA. A major goal of these collaborative efforts will be to interrogate developmentally related databases, identify gene mutations that may cause pediatric disorders, and test them in our in vivo and stem cell models. This will provide an avenue for disease gene discovery and the development of patient-specific therapeutic strategies.