Imperial College London

DrVickiMetzis

Faculty of MedicineInstitute of Clinical Sciences

Advanced Research Fellow
 
 
 
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Contact

 

v.metzis Website

 
 
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Location

 

5.11ALMS BuildingHammersmith Campus

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Summary

 

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

We are interested in understanding how differences in cell identity emerge during development of the nervous system. In particular, we are examining how differences in neural progenitor identity are established in the hindbrain versus the spinal cord. We have identified a vast array of non-coding, regulatory elements in the genome, that are fundamental to cell identity and are examining the molecular mechanisms that control their activity during development. 

Our ambition is to define the molecular principles that determine cell type identity and diversity during development, by asking:

- How do different cell types emerge in different parts of the nervous system?

- How do regulatory elements control cell identity and future lineage decisions?

- How can we exploit these molecular principles to engineer specific cell types in vitro from pluripotent cells?

By combining computational biology with experimental manipulations, we are developing insight into how regulatory elements function, in the control of competence and cell identity.

cells-diff

Our approach

We are taking a tissue engineering approach, using embryonic stem cells to generate defined cell types in vitro, benchmarked against their in vivo counterparts using mouse genetic approaches. This allows us to examine which signals direct cell fate decisions during development, and dissect how this is controlled at the molecular level.

By developing strategies to engineer precise tissues from embryonic stem cells, it is our hope that we will contribute valuable insights for regenerative medicine and the future of disease modelling.