The main goal of this research is to investigate mechanisms of neural precursor cell self-organization during the development of the peripheral nervous system in the fruit fly. This grant will fund students in the lab over the next two years, performing a genetic screen and piloting the use of biomaterials to study neural precursor patterning. The ability of neural precursors to communicate with each other is an essential feature of stem cell homeostasis and differentiation, as well as being critical for adult mechanosensory function.

Professor Hunter joined Clarkson University as an assistant professor in the Department of Biology in 2018. Her research interests lie in using genetic and imaging approaches to study biological pattern formation and morphogenesis.