Eisenhoffer Laboratory
George Eisenhoffer, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Areas of Research
- Genetics Research
- Stem Cell Biology Research
- Apoptosis Research
- Developmental Biology Research
- Imaging Research
Our research focuses on understanding how cell division and death are coordinated to control overall cell numbers in epithelia.
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Research Focus
Goal: To elucidate the mechanisms that regulate cell turnover while preserving barrier function in epithelia and identify specific alterations that go awry during pathogenesis.
How we do it: Use the powerful cellular and genetic tools available in the developing zebrafish to dissect cell turnover in a living epithelial tissue.
Meet the team
From left to right: Youmna Atieh, Shuo-Ting Yen, Anh Kim Trinh, Safia Essien, Krystin Samms, Philip Kahan, James, Chen, Nathan Carroll, George Eisenhoffer, Oscar Ruiz, Jovany Franco
Oscar Ruiz, Ph.D., receives first place in the 2016 Nikon Small World Photo Competition
Ruiz brings the world face-to-face with his research on facial development and cellular morphogenesis with his winning image of a four-day-old zebrafish embryo. Ruiz uses the zebrafish to study genetic mutations that lead to facial abnormalities such as cleft lip and palate in humans in the lab of George Eisenhoffer, Ph.D. Click here to read more and see this award winning photo.
Recent Publications
Eisenhoffer GT, Clouthier D, Cox T, Saint-Jeannet JP, Taneyhill LA, Trainor PA, Moody SA. The Society for Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology 42nd Annual Meeting.Am J Med Genet A. (2020) Apr 30: PMID: 32352199
Flores EM, Nguyen AT, Odem MA, Eisenhoffer GT, Krachler AM. The Zebrafish as a Model for Gastrointestinal Tract - Microbe Interactions. Cell Microbiol. (2020) Mar;22(3): PMID: 31872937
Teixeira RJ, Oralová V, Larionova D, Eisenhoffer GT, Eckhard W, Huysseune A. Periderm invasion contributes to epithelial formation in the teleost pharynx. Scientific Reports. (2019) Jul 12;9(1): PMID: 31300674
Brock CK, Wallin ST, Ruiz OE, Samms K, Mandal A, Sumner EA and Eisenhoffer GT. Stem cell proliferation is induced by engulfment of apoptotic bodies from adjacent dying cells during epithelial tissue maintenance. Nature Communications. (2019) Mar 5; 10(1):1044 PMID: 30837472
Franco JJ, Atieh Y, Bryan CD, Kwan KM and Eisenhoffer GT.. Changes in cellular density regulates the balance between extrusion and division to facilitate tissue repair. Molecular Biology of the Cell. (2019) Jul 22;30(16):1890-1899. PMID: 30785842