discovering basic genetic and cell biological mechanisms that shape multicellular tissues. My lab has taken several experimental approaches to study this process of morphogenesis. Genetically, we identified an extra-ovarian regulatory pathway that we have recently shown involves the function of a metalloprotease, which could be required to activate a long-range signaling molecule. Through a novel pharmacological approach, we uncovered the participation of neural signaling in both follicle formation and maturation. Our current work is aimed at elucidating specific molecular components of these pathways, as well as their biochemical/cellular functions. In addition to my study of tissue morphogenesis, I have established an ongoing collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. David Brautigan (UVA, Center for Cell Signaling) to pursue a related interest in the genetic control of cell division during development. In this work Drosophila genetics is being used to identify cellular functions of important vertebrate regulatory proteins.

Ozdowski, E.F., Mowery, Y.M. and Cronmiller, C. (2009) stall encodes an ADAMTS metalloprotease and interacts genetically with Delta in Drosophila ovarian follicle formation. Genetics 183:1-14.

Wang, W., Cronmiller, C., Brautigan, D. (2008) Maternal phosphatase inhibitor-2 is required for proper chromosome segregation and mitotic synchrony during Drosophila embryogenesis. Genetics 179:1823-1833.

Willard, S.S., Koss, C.M. and Cronmiller, C. (2006) Chronic cocaine exposure in Drosophila : Life, cell death and oogenesis. Developmental Biology 296:150-163.

Willard, S. S., Ozdowski, E. F., Jones, N. A. and Cronmiller, C. (2004) Stall -mediated extrinsic control of ovarian follicle formation in Drosophila. Genetics 168:191-198.