The neural crest is a transient embryonic tissue that gives rise to a multitude of derivatives in an axially restricted manner. An in vitro counterpart to neural crest can be derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and can be used to study neural crest ontogeny, neural crest-related disorders (known as neurocristopathies), and to generate cells for therapeutic purposes.

My research focusses on the mechanisms by which hPSCs acquire a neural crest-like identity and subsequently differentiate into derivatives that are restricted to specific axial locations in the embryo.