Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Skin - the largest organ in our body - forms a crucial barrier between our internal tissues and the external environment. The structure of skin has evolved to efficiently protect against invasion by harmful pathogens and to provide protection against bumps and bruises. When a wound does occur, the skin can repair itself and regenerate new skin tissue. How is this specialized tissue architecture established? The skin comprises several layers of cells that are constantly turned over and replenished from stem cells that lie in the deepest layers of our skin. These stem cells have two jobs: (1) to make more stem cells and maintain the bottom layer of skin and (2) to make the upper layers of skin. The signals that tell a stem cell which task to tackle must be carefully calibrated, otherwise serious consequences such as tissue degeneration or cancer may arise. My research will strive to understand how the biochemical and mechanical signals that stem cells receive lead to the formation of neatly organized cell layers during embryonic development. In particular, I am interested in understanding how cells can move from one layer to another without leaving any gaps. Using sophisticated genetic tools, such as transgenic models and gene knock-down strategies, combined with advanced microscopy techniques, I will watch this process unfold in real time. The overall goal is to identify the genetic network that dictates stem cell behaviours, which direct the formation of a continuous, multilayered skin tissue that covers the entire body surface. Insights from my work will teach us how skin architecture develops, and how the misregulation of these complex mechanisms can lead to pathological conditions later in life including cancer and wound healing defects.