Valerie Horsley, Ph.D.

Research

Our lab studies the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control stem cell activity and function within epithelia, the tissues that line our internal organs and outer surfaces, such as skin. We use the mouse as a genetic model system to study how adult stem cells within epithelial tissues maintain the anatomical status quo, undergo wound healing and can contribute to cancer formation. The skin is an excellent model to reveal transcriptional developmental mechanisms because it is composed of multiple cell types that are histologically and biochemically distinct and can be manipulated genetically. Using innovative imaging techniques, genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry we are studying the dynamics of transcription in mammalian skin. The goal of our work is to illuminate how these complex processes in epithelial tissues are relevant in skin and breast tumor formation.