Despite nearly complete understanding of the genetics of the β-hemoglobinopathies for several decades, definitive treatment options have lagged behind. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) reinduction represents a “silver bullet” for ...

The human brain can be affected by many diseases during its development, and human genetics studies can illuminate the genetic etiology of these diseases, which is critical for understanding disease pathophysiology, improving ...

The monoaminergic neuromodulatory systems (including the noraderenergic, serotonergic, and dopaminergic neuronal systems) have long been thought of as the custodians of mental health. Dysfunction amongst these neural ...

Since their divergence from a common ancestor some 200 million years ago, mammals have undergone significant diversification in physiology, morphology, habitat, size, and longevity. The maximum lifespan of mammalian species ...

Advances in DNA sequencing are creating new opportunities for studying the process of evolution. These measurements can be particularly useful for rapidly evolving microbial organisms, whose small size and fast generation ...

Chromatin plays a vital role in the implementation of gene expression programs. Several disparate groups of regulatory proteins alter chromatin state through post-translational modification of histone proteins, nucleosome ...

Nodal signaling is one of the principal players in the process of gastrulation, during which the primary germ layers (endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm) are formed and organized in their proper locations. During my PhD I ...

Genetics is an incredibly powerful tool for interrogating human biology, as it allows us to identify genes influencing biological processes and diseases in a hypothesis-free manner and in the context of the human body. The ...

Tendons transmit force from muscle to bone, enabling movement; ligaments connect bone to bone, maintaining stability. Despite their importance, tendon and ligament development is relatively uncharacterized. In this ...

Animals switch between periods of behavioral quiescence and arousal in response to environmental, circadian, or developmental cues. C. elegans exhibit periods of behavioral quiescence during larval molts (termed lethargus) ...