Claire Brown

Proper regulation of cell migration is crucial for many biological processes including organ development, tissue repair and the immune response. Defects in cell migration play a central role in developmental disorders, neuronal disorders, tumorigenesis, immune disorders and cancer metastasis. Fundamentally, cell migration is regulated though small adhesive structures across the cell that assemble and disassemble allowing the cell to translocate. My lab applies advanced light microscopy tools including image correlation microscopy in order to understand the molecular mechanisms that spatially and temporally regulate adhesions and control cell migration. An understanding of these fundamental mechanisms will lead to new insights into what causes migration related defects and disease. We are specifically interested in understanding cell migration defects that lead to breast cancer cell migration, invasion and metastasis.