Regulation of Gene Expression

Faculty

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Research Focus

The primary focus of this lab is to study birth defects that occur as result of adverse metabolic conditions of the mother during pregnancy. Research is directed toward Neurulation, which is the developmental process to form the neural tube.

About this Lab

Neurulation, represents a critical, yet highly complex step in development of the nervous system. Deficiencies of this morphogenetic process can lead to neural tube defects, one of the most common, and most disabling birth defects in humans. One leading cause for neural tube defects is maternal diabetes during pregnancy, with an up to 10-fold higher risk. Maternal obesity is associated with similar outcomes.

Using diabetic pregnancies in the mouse as a model system and genomics technology, we have demonstrated molecular changes in the developing embryo as well as the placenta that are caused by maternal diet, diabetes, or both. The prevailing view has been that maternal diabetes disturbs the process of neural tube closure. Recent observations now lead us to suggest that diabetes of the mother acts earlier, and perturbs newly formed mesoderm cells of the embryo during gastrulation.