Understanding the conformation and function of enhancer-promoter interactions that drive gene regulation during neural crest development

During her Fellowship, Hannah will investigate how distal regulatory regions, known as enhancers, modulate gene expression during the development of the neural crest, a transient embryonic cell type which gives rise to many diverse adult tissues, including the majority of the human face. Her long-term goal is to understand how non-coding genetic variation can contribute to human craniofacial disease and normal face variation. Hannah will work with Professor Doug Higgs at the University of Oxford, and Professor Joanna Wysocka and Dr Stanley Qi at Stanford University.