As a Professor and Chair of the Department of Cell and Tissue Biology at UCSF, I study fundamental mechanisms by which signaling between cells coordinates mammalian morphogenesis. These studies have significance to understanding and ultimately informing therapies for human congenital anomalies, which are the leading cause of death for infants during the first year of life. Our lab has NIH-sponsored projects focused on understanding development in multiple organ systems that include the craniofacial complex, the brain, the trachea and the esophagus. We have a highly collaborative group of researchers that are committed to understanding fundamental cellular and genetic mechanisms that underlie development and disease. We have made discoveries that reveal the intricate mechanisms of EPH/EPHRIN signaling during development, have elucidated how tissue fusion occurs in multiple aspects of development, and have revealed early transcriptional networks that control tracheal development. To make these discoveries, we have developed new live imaging approaches, novel mouse genetics reagents, and the first human induced pluripotent stem cell model of a congenital craniofacial disease.