Our main objectives are:

1-How do appendages form? We study the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control appendage specification and morphogenesis. At the cellular and molecular level, a small number of signaling pathways, transcription factors and cell behaviors are used reiteratively throughout development to generate a three-dimensional appendage in Drosophila and in vertebrates.

2-Coordination between cell proliferation and apoptosis during tissue homeostasis. The mechanisms that control cell proliferation and apoptosis in response to different types of stress must be tightly coordinated and balanced to maintain genomic integrity and prevent tumor development. Defective cells must be rapidly eliminated to prevent the transmission of mutations and the formation of malignant cells. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that link cell division and cell death is an important question with huge implications for cancer biology.

3-Regeneration mechanisms in the epithelial and nervous system. Regeneration is the ability of some organisms present to repair damaged organs or tissues. This ability varies, not only between different species, but also between different developmental stages of the same organism. One of our goals is to identify the cellular signals that promote and limit the regenerative capacity of an organism during development.

When neural tissue is damaged, a regenerative response is induced to preserve the structural integrity and function of the nervous system. This regenerative response is largely mediated by glial cells. We are investigating the genetic and molecular mechanisms that control the glial response after injury.