During animal development, one single cell divides to generate every cell type in the body. This process is incredibly complex, highly coordinated, but perhaps most remarkable, it is very resilient. For example, embryos can tolerate having too many or too few cells, can compensate for missing cells and lineages, and can eliminate mutant (but viable) cells in early development.

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The goal of our research is to understand how the mammalian embryo is capable of generating millions of distinct cell types in both normal and perturbed development. In doing so, we aim to better understand the intricate process of embryogenesis, and apply our knowledge to understand resilience mechanisms in disease, regeneration, and aging.