Mechanobiology and Wound Repair
DNMT3A mechanotransduction during epidermal injury
My primary research project investigates how mechanical changes at a wound edge influence the localization of an epigenetic regulator and help shape repair.
Research Portfolio
Research projects that best reflect how I think about biology
My research spans mechanobiology, epigenetic regulation, epithelial biology, tissue regeneration, spatial transcriptomics, and disease remodeling. Three projects form the core of my current research identity, while additional collaborations and earlier work show the broader experimental systems that have shaped my training.
Featured Research
Three projects that best reflect how I think about skin biology
Stemness and Signaling
Mindin-integrin-STAT3 control of keratinocyte stemness
This research thread examines how extracellular context and integrin trafficking feed into STAT3 signaling and the maintenance of keratinocyte stemness.
Spatial Transcriptomics and Patient Tissue
Immune remodeling in vitiligo skin after NB-UVB treatment
This collaborative project examined how treatment reshapes the immune landscape of vitiligo skin while preserving spatial context within patient tissue.
Additional Research
Other projects I have contributed to
Beyond the three projects above, I have contributed to collaborative studies spanning fibrosis, epithelial plasticity, host-pathogen interactions, and plant molecular biology. These projects are not presented as separate flagship programs, but they are important parts of the experimental training that I bring to new research environments.
Tissue Remodeling and Fibrosis
Mindin-mediated regulation of cutaneous fibrogenesis
I contributed to work investigating the role of Mindin (SPON2) in cutaneous fibrosis using transgenic mouse models, with a focus on extracellular matrix remodeling in systemic sclerosis.
Host–Pathogen Biology
LL-37-mediated inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 entry
I investigated LL-37-mediated inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 entry using mammalian cell systems, pseudovirus assays, and flow cytometry, contributing to a study of host-defense mechanisms against viral membrane disruption.
Plant Molecular Biology
PM19 promoter regulation in wheat
During my master's research, I investigated cis-regulatory regions controlling PM19 gene expression in wheat using promoter cloning, transient GUS assays, plant tissue culture, transformation, and sequence analysis.
Research Trajectory
A broad experimental background, with a progressively focused question
Across different biological systems, I have repeatedly worked on the relationship between context, signaling, cell state, and tissue remodeling. My current work brings those interests together around mechanobiology, epigenetic regulation, and tissue repair.
01 · Cell and Molecular Regulation
From gene regulation to signaling
My early training began with promoter regulation and molecular biology, then expanded into epithelial signaling, stemness, extracellular matrix biology, and host-pathogen interactions.
02 · Tissue Context
From cells to tissues
Work in skin regeneration, fibrosis, and vitiligo introduced increasingly tissue-level questions, including how extracellular context, immune organization, and tissue architecture shape biological states.
03 · Current Direction
From tissue mechanics to cell state
My current research asks how mechanical changes in injured tissue are translated through cytoskeletal and signaling networks into changes in nuclear regulation and epithelial repair.
The Unifying Question
How does biological context become cellular instruction?
Across mechanics, extracellular signaling, immune organization, fibrosis, and epithelial biology, I am interested in how cells interpret their surroundings and translate those cues into changes in signaling, gene regulation, and cell state.
Where to Start
Start with the mechanistic core
The DNMT3A mechanotransduction project is the clearest entry point into my current research: it connects tissue mechanics, actin remodeling, ERK1/2 signaling, nuclear regulation, and epidermal repair. The other projects provide complementary perspectives on tissue state, signaling, and regeneration.