How cell migration and differentiation are coordinated during morphogenesis

One-third of all birth defects are accounted by head anomalies, making them a primary cause of infant mortality.  Craniofacial birth defects are attributed to problems in neural crest development. Therefore, it is essential to understand the mechanisms that regulate the formation, migration and differentiation of neural crest cells as a prelude to understanding the origins of congenital craniofacial defects and their prevention or repair.

In this project we will study how migration and differentiation are coordinated in the cephalic neural crest.

Most of the studies on neural crest differentiation are focused on the genes that control this process; here we will test the hypothesis that cell migration induced by tissue mechanics also controls neural crest differentiation during embryo development. Although this project focusses on neural crest, it will set the ground for futures experiments on in vivo biomechanics, with wide implications in cell, developmental and cancer biology.