Welcome!

We study how cells sense and respond to physical and bioelectrical cues, signals as important as chemical messages but far less understood. Our goal is to uncover the molecular mechanisms that enable cells to detect these physiochemical signals and use this knowledge to engineer cell behavior for therapeutic benefit. We pursue this work in the highly interdisciplinary environment of the BioFrontiers Institute and as part of the Department of Biochemistry at CU Boulder.

Our main focus is on bioelectric guidance, how cells navigate in response to natural electric fields, such as those that arise during wound healing. We recently identified Galvanin, a novel electric field sensor in immune cells, revealing a new way that rapidly moving cells integrate electrical cues into migration and signaling. We are also interested in other receptors involved in cell motility and the roles they play in disease.

By combining mechanistic discovery with tool development, we aim to build a deeper understanding of the physical biology of cells, and use that insight to design new strategies for human health.