Professional Interests Microvilli cover the surface of circulating blood lymphocytes. Lymphocytes use these finger-like projections to segregate adhesion receptors, as certain receptors localize to microvilli while others are excluded from them. Adhesion receptor segregation is crucial because cells use these receptors sequentially when moving from the bloodsteam to specific tissues. Little is known about the architecture of microvilli, nor about their relationship to similar structures from other cells. My lab will identify protein components crucial to microvillar structure, test how mutation of these proteins affect microvillar structure and function, and characterize how these proteins function biochemically and biophysically.