
The heart is the organ most often affected by congenital malformations, as well as diseases associated with aging. Uncovering the molecular and genetic mechanisms that underlie these problems can be accelerated through study with simpler genetic models such as the fruitfly, Drosophila. The Jacobs lab employs the Drosophila genetic model to dissect heart formation and growth of the heart, with particular focus on adhesion signaling, cell polarity, morphogenesis and the formation and remodeling of the heart extra-cellular matrix.
The Jacobs lab is no longer recruiting students for graduate or undergraduate thesis work.
Cell and Developmental Biology; Genetics & Molecular Biology