I started in the MD/PhD program here at UCHSC in 1995 and earned my Ph.D. in Cell & Developmental Biology in 2001. I worked in the labortory of Dr. Thomas Finger. My project focused on the intercellular signals that regulate development of peripheral taste structures.

I have published work that showsSonic hedgehog signaling pathway members are expressed in developing taste papillae as well as the BMP4 signaling molecule. Also, my in vitro experiments have demonstrated that Sonic hedgehog signaling plays a role in several processes in taste papillary formation, including determination of the number and size of taste papillae that form on the tongue. For more the full details of my work, a version of my Ph.D. thesis, "Sonic hedgehog signaling in taste development" is available online by clicking here.

Now that I'm in the Psychiatry department at UCSD, I plan on getting involved in the exciting reserach that goes on in our department. Watch here for sporadic updates on where this might go...

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