Karenliu:Lab Members

Principal Investigator
Dr. Karen J. Liu



2007-present King's College London, Department of Craniofacial Development: Lecturer 2003-2006 Stanford University Medical School: Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Mike Longaker and Dr. Jerry Crabtree 1997-2003 University of California, Berkeley: PhD with Dr. Richard Harland 1995-1997 Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons: Technician with Dr. Argiris Efstratiadis 1992-1995 Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, Architects (formerly I.M.Pei & Partners) 1988-1992 Columbia College, Columbia University: BA, English/Architecture

Link to Nature "Authors" profile

Post-docs
Dr. Heather Szabo-Rogers

Funding: Wellcome Trust Project: Signal transduction by GSK-3beta in craniofacial development Summary: Congenital malformations of the craniofacial skeleton are among the most frequent developmental anomalies affecting live births. Common defects can include cleft palate and premature or delayed fusion of cranial sutures (craniosynostosis and cleidocranial dysplasia, respectively). GSK-3β, a kinase implicated in a number of important signaling pathways, is required for proper development of the craniofacial skeleton, including the palate and skull vault. We will use genetic analysis and novel protein regulation techniques to study the roles of GSK-3β in skull formation. Understanding this requirement will shed light on signalling events involved in craniofacial development and thus illuminate the mechanistic causes of these birth defects.

Dr. Lucy Smithers

Funding: BBSRC-Selective Chemical Intervention in Biological Systems Project: Using chemical tools to study Wnt signalling in neural development Summary: We are adapting a novel drug-dependent conditional system to the study of Wnt signalling. This project has two goals, first, to provide additional chemical tools for the study of Wnts and second, to use these tools to define the subcellular and temporal requirements of Wnts during patterning of the neurectoderm. We are developing tools in which activation of target proteins will be regulated temporally and spatially using small molecules specifically designed to have minimal off-target effects.

Students
Triona Bolger PhD Student Project: Roles of GSK-3 in neural crest migration and specification

Warda Yakob MSc Student Project: Requirements for GSK-3 in palate development

Chisom Emecheta BSc Student Project: Requirements for GSK-3 in palate development

Siobhan McMahon Summer Student Project: Requirement of Wisp1 in embryonic development

Former Students
Sara Misra BSc Student Project: Osteoclastic bone resorption is a feature of skull development

Related Projects
Postdocs or students interested in working in the lab are welcome to discuss potential projects and fellowship applications. Informal inquiries may be made at any time to Dr. Karen Liu.