Control of epithelial cell migration

Many functions associated with epithelia during development, growth, disease and repair require them to be highly dynamic while maintaining robust structural integrity. Although extensive remodelling of epithelial sheets underpins key morphogenetic events during embryonic development, relatively little is known about how this remodelling is coordinated across the various scales of molecules, cells and tissues, or how it is modulated to achieve diverse epithelial forms. A major focus of Dr Srinivas's research is on understanding the cellular and molecular basis for the directional and coordinated migration of a group of embryonic epithelial cells called the anterior visceral endoderm, whose movement is essential for the correct orientation of the head-tail axis. Insight from this research, in addition to illuminating fundamental processes in embryogenesis, will also inform our understanding of core aspects of cell biology, such as the regulation of cell movement, a process often subverted in pathological situations.