Vitoria Paolillo, Ph.D.

Hometown:  Easton, Missouri

Education

Ph.D., Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology - University of Kansas (2018)

Current Research: Neuronal migration is a critical process in the development of the nervous system. In humans, neuronal migration defects can lead to a wide range of disorders, such as epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia, and mental retardation. However, the complexity of the nervous system in humans makes it difficult to address fundamental questions regarding neuronal migration. In the Lundquist Lab, we utilize the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which has only 302 neurons, as a model system to study the mechanisms that regulate neuronal migration. Specifically, I will be studying the directed migration patterns of the Q neuroblasts, called QR and QL. I am interested in how differences in gene expression result in these cells migrating in opposite directions, despite the fact that they are identical in regards to their initial position, morphology, and cell lineage.