Division of Functional Genetics

Our current projects include:

• The embryological origin of radial aplasia
• Fate mapping the limb bud and the control of co-ordinated development of limb anatomy
• Developing novel avian transgenic tools for developmental biology
• The evolution of limb pattern in birds
• The function of TALPID3

Identification of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for bone and cartilage growth, development and mineralisation in health and disease.

Development, maintenance and repair of the skin and its appendages.

Investigating new mechanisms of bone formation and vascular calcification.

Adaptations of the neuroendocrine system: hormonal and neural regulation of reproduction and behaviour.  Animal Welfare: Neurobiology of positive welfare and behaviour.

Our group investigates epithelial tissue fusion and related human disorders. Disruptions to how tissues fuse together during human development is a common cause of birth defects, affecting approximately 1 in 500 people in the UK. Our research has been prompted because despite our best efforts, most patients born with problems such as cleft palate, spina bifida, and heart defects still don't have the genetic cause of their disorder identified. This often impacts genetic counselling and efforts towards prevention. We also remain unsure what impacts maternal environment have on these conditions (e.g. illness, vitamin deficiency, or substance abuse). We aim to address these by performing transformative research to reveal the key genes, cell behaviours, and molecular systems required for normal tissue fusion, and provide a step-change in our knowledge of how these can be perturbed.