Our long-term research goal is to understand the molecular mechanism governing cell division. A cell divides by duplicating its genetic materials and distributing them into two daughter cells. Cell division is one of the most important biological processes. It requires hundreds of different molecules and precise spatiotemporal control. We are focused on the last stage of cell division, cytokinesis, when two daughter cells separate. Cytokinesis depends on many signaling pathways and the cytoskeletal structures. Failure of cytokinesis will lead to cancer and many other human diseases.

Our current research projects are
    1.How does Pkd2, a channel linked to the human kidney disease ADPKD, contribute to cytokinesis? Our lab identified the role of Pkd2 in cytokinesis for the first time. Mutations of human Pkd2 lead to ADPKD, a genetic disorder affecting 1:1000 Americans.
    2.How does calcium, an essential ion, regulate the molecular events of cytokinesis? We uncovered two novel calcium currents during cytokinesis.
    3.How is actin regulated during cytokinesis? We discovered that an actin-binding protein cofilin is essential for both the assembly and disassembly of the contractile ring.

We acknowledge the funding support from National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.