The Roop lab is interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying epidermis development. This encompasses Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Cancer Biology with several members of the lab working in each of these fields. My current research is focused on how the skin creates and maintains a functional barrier between the body and the outside world. I work on a mouse model that is null for the protein loricrin, a main component of the outer later of skin. Surprisingly however, these mice maintain normal barrier function. This mouse model demonstrates a compensatory mechanism that gets turned on early in epidermis development in response to the lack of the loricrin. I am currently elucidating the genes that are upregulated and the mechanisms by which the epidermis realizes that the protein is missing in order to upregulate these genes. This research will hopefully translate into possible ways that we can speed up the development of the epidermis in humans. This would be valuable in cases such as premature births where the lack of a functional barrier poses a big problem for premature infants due to rapid water loss and risk of serious infection.

General Interests:
The Roop lab is interested in understanding the mechanisms underlying epidermis development. This encompasses Stem Cell Biology, Developmental Biology and Cancer Biology with several members of the lab working in each of these fields. My current research is focused on how the skin creates and maintains a functional barrier between the body and the outside world. I work on a mouse model that is null for the protein loricrin, a main component of the outer later of skin. Surprisingly however, these mice maintain normal barrier function. This mouse model demonstrates a compensatory mechanism that gets turned on early in epidermis development in response to the lack of the loricrin. I am currently elucidating the genes that are upregulated and the mechanisms by which the epidermis realizes that the protein is missing in order to upregulate these genes. This research will hopefully translate into possible ways that we can speed up the development of the epidermis in humans. This would be valuable in cases such as premature births where the lack of a functional barrier poses a big problem for premature infants due to rapid water loss and risk of serious infection.