Research Interests
The role of primary cilia during craniofacial development
Research in the Brugmann lab focuses on understanding the molecular, cellular and genetic factors that guide neural crest cell (NCC) development into craniofacial tissues. Specifically, we seek apply what we learn about NCC development to direct NCCs to differentiate into skeletal tissues that can be used to surgically repair craniofacial malformations. To achieve this goal, we aim to identify how primary cilia function during normal facial development and employ the cilia to direct NCC differentiation.