Education Background
Biology Ph.D. - 2012 Duke University
Biology B.S. - 2004 University of Virginia
Courses Taught
- BY214 - Genetics
- BY480/580 - Advanced Cell Biology
- BY448 - Medical Microbiology
Research Interests
My research takes genetic, cell biological, live imaging, and quantitative approaches to studying the development of biological patterns using the fruit fly model system, Drosophila Melanogaster.
How does cell shape and movement affect cell-cell communication? We are interested in how epithelial cells use long cellular extensions to communicate with distant neighboring cells in order to engage in lateral inhibition. Several cell types across many signaling paradigms in development have been observed to communicate using these kinds of extensions, but the mechanisms that drive their formation, behavior, and signaling properties are unknown.
What are the rules governing individual cell fate decisions and how do they scale up during tissue-wide patterning events? Although Notch signaling and the process of lateral inhibition has been known to establish sensory bristle patterns on the adult fruit fly, the dynamics of this process have only recently been observed. We have taken a dual approach to this problem, combining expertise in the biological system along with collaborative work to develop mathematical models of bristle pattern formation.
Publications
- Hunter GL, He L, Perrimon N, Charras G, Giniger E, and B Baum (2019) A role for actomyosin contractility in Notch signaling. BMC Biology (in press).
- Hadjivasiliou Z, Hunter GL, and B Baum (2016) A new mechanism for spatial pattern formation via lateral and protrusion-mediated lateral signalling. J R Soc Interface 13: 20160484
- Hunter, GL, Hadjivasiliou, Z., Bonin, H., He, L., Perrimon, N., Charras, G., and B Baum. (2016) Coordinated control of Notch-Delta signalling and cell division aids lateral inhibition mediated tissue patterning.
- Development 143: 2305-2310.
- Protonotarios, E., Baum, B., Johnston, A., Hunter, GL, and LD Griffin. (2014) An absolute interval scale of order for point patterns. J R Soc Interface 11: 20140342.
- Hunter, GL, Crawford, JC, Jenkins, JZ, and DP Kiehart. (2014) Ion channels contribute to the regulation of cell sheet forces during Drosophila dorsal closure. Development 141: 325-334.