Positions
- James R. Davis Chair in Pathology and Immunology
-
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
Houston, Texas, United States
- Professor
-
Molecular and Human Genetics
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- Co-Director
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Graduate Program in Molecular and Human Genetics
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- Professor
-
Program in Developmental Biology
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- Professor
-
Neuroscience
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- Professor
-
Program in Integrative Molecular and Biomedical Sciences
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- Professor
-
Ophthalmology
ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
Education
- BS from Haverford College
- 01/1980 - Haverford, PA, United States
- PhD from Massachusetts Institute Of Technology
- 01/1990 - Cambridge, MA, United States
- Post-Doctoral Fellowship at University Of California, Berkeley
- 01/1994 - Berkeley, CA, United States
Honors & Awards
- Best Lecturer, 8-Stranded Beta-Barrel Jelly Roll Awards, ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine (01/2008)
- James M. Barr Award for Outstanding Retina Research Achievement
- (01/2006)
- James M. Barr Award for Outstanding Retina Research Achievement
- (01/2002)
- Marc Dresden Excellence in Graduate Education Award, ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine
- ÌÇÐÄvlogÃÛÌÒ of Medicine (01/2001)
- Brochstein Award for Outstanding Achievement in Retina Research
- (01/1999)
Professional Interests
- Retinal cell fate determination, development, and function in Drosophila and vertebrates
Professional Statement
The primary goal of our research is to understand the molecular mechanisms of retinal development with the ultimate goal of improving our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat human retinal disease. To this end, we are using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system to identify and determine the function of conserved genes required for normal retinal development. In spite of substantial differences between vertebrate and insect retinal morphology, genetic mechanisms of retinal development have been conserved for more than 500 million years. Thus, study of the molecular and genetic pathways controlling Drosophila eye development has provided a valuable set of tools with which to decipher the development and function of the vertebrate retina.
Our current research begins with the observation that the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (Egfr, a receptor tyrosine kinase) signaling pathway is both necessary and sufficient to trigger the differentiation of nearly all cell types in the Drosophila retina. This finding posed the question of how activation of a single pathway could trigger the differentiation of more than ten different cell types in the same tissue at the same time during development. Given the fundamental importance of Egfr signaling throughout higher eukaryotes in cancer, cell differentiation, proliferation and survival, it is of broad significance to unravel this conundrum. To this end, we have generated extensive single cell RNA-sequencing data on multiple stages of the developing and adult Drosophila eye, as well single cell chromatin accessibility data (ATAC-seq), and whole eye disc ChIP-seq for Pointed, the nuclear effector of Egfr signaling. Integration and mining of these data has led to multiple hypotheses of how the Egfr pathway is reiteratively used to regulate retinal cell fate determination which we are currently testing. In addition, these data have revealed many other new insights into Drosophila eye development with unprecedented resolution and provide a fertile starting point for myriad studies.
Our current research begins with the observation that the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (Egfr, a receptor tyrosine kinase) signaling pathway is both necessary and sufficient to trigger the differentiation of nearly all cell types in the Drosophila retina. This finding posed the question of how activation of a single pathway could trigger the differentiation of more than ten different cell types in the same tissue at the same time during development. Given the fundamental importance of Egfr signaling throughout higher eukaryotes in cancer, cell differentiation, proliferation and survival, it is of broad significance to unravel this conundrum. To this end, we have generated extensive single cell RNA-sequencing data on multiple stages of the developing and adult Drosophila eye, as well single cell chromatin accessibility data (ATAC-seq), and whole eye disc ChIP-seq for Pointed, the nuclear effector of Egfr signaling. Integration and mining of these data has led to multiple hypotheses of how the Egfr pathway is reiteratively used to regulate retinal cell fate determination which we are currently testing. In addition, these data have revealed many other new insights into Drosophila eye development with unprecedented resolution and provide a fertile starting point for myriad studies.
Selected Publications
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Roman D, Zhong H, Yaklichkin S, Chen R, Mardon G. " " Exp Eye Res. 2018 Jul 25; 176 : 219-226.
Pubmed PMID: . -
Dharmat R, Eblimit A, Robichaux MA, Zhang Z, Nguyen TT, Jung SY, He F, Jain A, Li Y, Qin J, Overbeek P, Roepman R, Mardon G, Wensel TG, Chen R.. " " J Cell Biol. 2018 Aug 6; 217 (8) : 2851-2865.
Pubmed PMID: . -
Retshabile G, Mlotshwa BC, Williams L, Mwesigwa S, Mboowa G, Huang Z, Rustagi N, Swaminathan S, Katagirya E, Kyobe S, Wayengera M, Kisitu GP, Kateete DP, Wampande EM, Maplanka K, Kasvosve I, Pettitt ED, Matshaba M, Nsangi B, Marape M, et al. " " Am J Hum Genet. 2018 May 3; 102 (5) : 731-743.
Pubmed PMID: . -
Jin M, Eblimit A, Pulikkathara M, Corr S, Chen R, Mardon G.. " " FEBS J.. 2016 Aug ; 283 (15) : 2754-66.
Pubmed PMID: .
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