In fibroblasts responding to gradients of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), an important chemoattractant in development and wound healing, signaling through the phospholipase C (PLC)/protein kinase C (PKC) pathway proved necessary for chemotaxis, whereas pathways that collaborate to activate the Arp2/3 complex were found to be dispensable.  PKC is activated through its binding to the lipid…

Anticipating abrupt changes in ecosystem state is key for ecosystem management and preservation. Detailed knowledge of ecological mechanisms behind a critical transition is often difficult to attain, and the theory of resilience - assessment of the ability of a system to withstand disturbances - provides a pathway to circumvent this problem. Loss of system resilience…

Gene expression is a biochemical process driven by the chance collisions of molecules, which can result in strong stochastic signatures and cell-to-cell variability in gene network dynamics (e.g. oscillation). Biological oscillators co-exist in the same cell and can interact directly or indirectly through shared resources. Our lab uses modeling and experiments to understand how these…

The Valsalva maneuver (VM) is a quick, noninvasive, clinical procedure with a variety of uses. In particular, the VM can aid in the diagnosis of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The VM induces changes in blood pressure, which reflexively induces a neural signaling cascade to adjust heart rate, heart contractility, peripheral vascular resistance, and venous compliance.…