Many human diseases are a result of either a deficit or surfeit in the quantity or functionality of particular cell types. Although the principles of cell fate specification during embryogenesis are rather well documented, it is unclear what mechanisms are used to maintain cell identity andappropriate cell numbers in adult tissues. While the cell autonomous molecular processes defining cell states in both physiological andpathological conditions are being defined with increasing precision using genome-wide inventories, the question of when and how individualcell types interact with one another to maintain their identity remains largely unresolved. The Tata lab focuses on the following three overarching ideas:
i) Defining the cellular heterogeneity and the lineage hierarchies in epithelial tissues
ii) How do individual cells maintain their identity under steady state conditions and in the context of regeneration?
ii) The genetic and epigenetic basis of tissue plasticity associated with regeneration and tumorigenesis
The Tata lab focuses on understanding the ensemble properties of tissues in the context of development, homeostasis, regeneration andtumorigenesis in diverse epithelial tissues including lung. We use mouse models of disease that recapitulate human disease pathology. We utilize genetic, live imaging, cell biological and next generation sequencing technologies including single-cell RNA sequencing to study the behavior of tissues at a single cell level.
Laboratory of Stem Cells and Tissue Regeneration 