Gagnon_lab_construction.jpg

Living animals are not built by construction workers -  we build ourselves.


We develop from a single fertilized egg into adults with trillions of cells. What are the mechanisms that our embryos use to grow into adult organisms? How do we respond to injury, aging, and infection? What parts of our environment have shaped who we are?

Our lab uses the zebrafish to tackle these questions. The zebrafish is the BEST model organism! Our lab builds and uses a variety of techniques in zebrafish including CRISPR, single-cell sequencing, genetics, microscopy, and mathematics. We join these methods with the tools and concepts of traditional developmental biology to study topics like cell fate, organ maintenance, pathogen defense, and ecological pressures.

 To learn more, check out our Research, People, and Publications pages.

If you are interested in joining the lab, please check out the Contact page.

Illustration by Megan Okada - okadamegan@gmail.com