The role of tissue-specific nuclear envelope proteins in cytoskeletal and genome organisation in development and disease

Eric’s research is focused on understanding the roles of tissue-specific nuclear envelope transmembrane proteins (NETs). In particular he is using genome-wide approaches to determine the genes at the nuclear periphery in different tissue differentiation systems and how the spatial position of these genes changes along with their expression with knockdown of NETs that affect gene/chromosome position. For the cytoskeleton he is testing NETs that alter cytoskeletal organisation and looking at tissue-specific cell polarity, cell migration, mechanotransduction and cell mechanical stability. These NETs and the functions being elucidated may help explain the tissue-specific pathologies of dozens of nuclear envelope-linked diseases.