4th Annual Cancer Biology Graduate Program Retreat

In the Fuchs' laboratory, we are trying to understand how the multipotent stem cells of mammalian skin give rise to the epidermis and hair follicles. We study how skin epithelial cells respond to various external cues to coordinate changes in transcription, cell polarity, adhesion and cytoskeletal dynamics. Elucidating the normal process of tissue development is an important first step in understanding how these processes go awry in genetic skin diseases, including cancers. We are aided in our ability to grow human and mouse epidermal cells (keratinocytes) in the laboratory, and employ transgenic and knockout technologies in mice. In our research approaches, we utilize a broad range of techniques encompassing cell, molecular and developmental biology.