Our lab investigates the regulatory pathways that control striated muscle development and function, and how defects in those pathways can give rise to human disease. The development of striated muscle is controlled by conserved networks of regulatory proteins and noncoding RNAs that coordinate the expression of genes involved in muscle growth, morphogenesis, differentiation and contractility. Our research focuses on the role of muscle-enriched RNA-binding proteins and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as novel regulators of muscle development and disease. Unexpectedly, we've found that many annotated lncRNAs, in fact, encode small functional proteins, called micropeptides, which play important roles in regulating intracellular signaling. By investigating the function of these regulatory proteins and noncoding RNAs, we aim to uncover novel insights into the regulatory mechanisms important for muscle biology. Our lab utilizes and generates a variety of biochemical and cell-based assays and both gain- and loss-of-function mouse models.
