University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · BiologyThe Morphogenesis Lab
Mark A. Peifer · Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Mark A. Peifer's lab at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill focuses on understanding how cells develop and maintain their structure during embryonic development and how these processes can go awry in diseases like cancer. By studying the fruit fly Drosophila and mammalian cells, the team investigates the role of specific proteins and cell signaling pathways in shaping tissues and organs. The research could shed light on fundamental developmental processes and their implications for congenital anomalies and cancer.
morphogenesiscell adhesionWnt signalingDrosophilaoncogenesiscytoskeletoncell fateapical-basal polaritytumor suppressionembryonic development
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how cells establish and maintain polarity during tissue development.
AIM 02Study the dynamics of cell-cell junctions and their role in cell shape changes.
AIM 03Explore the mechanisms of Wnt signaling in regulating cell fate decisions.
Skills the Lab Values
microscopygenetic manipulationcell cultureprotein analysisimmunohistochemistrylive-cell imagingmolecular cloningCRISPRRT-PCRWestern blot
Output against the department
Publications302top 19% of dept.191st of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations20ktop 19% of dept.197th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.