My scientific interests are rooted in mouse genetics and its unique potential to illuminate mechanisms in developmental and cell biology. My doctoral research addressed how Hox genes are transcriptionally regulated to pattern neuron organization in the spinal cord and digit formation in appendages. For my postdoctoral research, I tackled patterning at the single cell level by first investigating how cell polarity mechanisms regulate cell fate in the retina. Venturing away from the retina and focusing instead on the inner ear, I identified new polarity proteins that proved essential for hearing by defining stereocilia placement and elongation in sensory ‘hair’ cells. These projects laid the foundation for my independent research program at The Jackson Laboratory, beginning in 2015.