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Associate Professor

Entomology 4112A Plant Sciences Building 4291 Fieldhouse Drive College Park, Maryland 20742-4454

RESEARCH FOCUS

  • Understand the fundamental molecular mechanisms that guide the formation and maintenance of the nervous system using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model system
  • Use of the genetic technique called MARCM (Mosaic Analysis with a Repressive Cell Marker) (Lee and Luo, 1999) to manipulate gene expression in a single neuron or a subset of neurons within the developing brains and to examine neuronal morphology at the certain developmental stages
  • Study the functions and signaling pathways of Drosophila Dscam (Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule)
  • Understanding the biological significance of this tremendous molecular diversity, to continue the systemic, genome-wide mosaic screens for genes underlying different aspects of neuronal development