Our laboratory investigates how key regulatory genes direct the
determination and differentiation of individual endocrine cell lineages during
vertebrate development. The anterior pituitary gland presents a valuable model
system to pursue these studies. The mature gland contains five discrete cell
types that are each characterized by the secretion of specific polypeptide hormones
critical for growth, sexual function, lactation, thyroid activity, adrenal physiology
and homeostasis. We use both molecular/in vitro and transgenic animal
approaches to examine the roles of several classes of transcription factors
in specification of pituitary cell phenotypes. Our research goals include:
1. Characterization of the basic biology/biochemistry
of endocrine transcription factors.
2. Investigation of the molecular nature of human pituitary diseases,
such as pituitary tumors and growth disorders in children, in collaboration
with faculty at Riley Children's Hospital.
3. The analysis of the gene regulatory pathways that control growth,
metabolism and reproductive fitness in agricultural species, in collaboration
with the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center.
Other projects in the lab include investigation of bone transcription
factors in collaboration with Dr. Joseph Bidwell of the Indiana University
School of Medicine at IUPUI, and molecular studies of nervous system regeneration
in amphibians in collaboration with Dr. Ellen Chernoff of the IUPUI Biology
Department. Please click on a link below for more information on research
programs or courses:
Department of Biology
