Jessica Feldman

Cells, like whole organisms, have an incredible diversity of form which enables diverse functions. In the Feldman Lab, we are interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying cell patterning during multicellular development. In particular, we are currently focused on understanding how microtubules become spatially organized, a key aspect of differentiation across different tissues and organisms. In addition, we study fundamental aspects of cell polarization, focusing on symmetry breaking cues that establish polarity in epithelia. We generally ask mechanistic cell biological questions in a living, developing organism using a genetic, biochemical, and live imaging approach in the nematode C. elegans.

This research program was shaped by my previous training. As a graduate student at University of California, San Francisco, I studied the genetic regulation of centrosome structure, function, and positioning and the mechanisms dictating internal cellular organization using the unicellular alga Chlamydomonas. I went on to characterize the role of the centrosome during epithelial polarization in C. elegans, working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. I started my lab in the Biology Department in 2014 and aim to maintain a fun, supportive, and inclusive research group.