Cheng laboratory: Stem cell and organ size control regulation
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Head of Laboratory
Dr Louise Cheng
Research Overview
View Dr Cheng's latest publications listing here
We use the fruit fly Drosophila to study how organ size is maintained and how metabolism can shape organ growth.
We are interested in a number of questions:
- How differentiation is maintained in the developing nervous system
- How the niche surrounding the neural stem cells affect stem cell behaviour
- How one specialized cell type in the CNS can become another through trans-differentiation
- How regeneration is regulated in the CNSs of flies and zebrafish
- How tumours breakdown fat and muscles during cachexia
- How organs communicate with each other to maintain tissue homeostasis
Staff
Dr Francesca Froldi, Post Doctoral Researcher
Dr Shane Cheung, Post Doctoral Researcher
Mr Michael Zorvortik, Research Assistant
Miss Qian (Joanna) Dong, PhD student
Miss Hannah Truong, PhD student
Miss Kellie Veen, PhD student
Collaborators
Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute
Funding
2019-2021 ARC Discovery Project. How neurons maintain their fate. Awarded $455,000
2018-2022 ARC Future Fellowship. Awaking quiescent neural stem cells. Awarded $713,125
2018-2020 NHMRC Project Grant. Metabolic reprogramming of dedifferentiation. Awarded $676,162
2016-2018 NHMRC Project Grant. The Hippo pathway, neural stem cells and brain growth. Awarded $363,136
2016 Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute Foundation Grant. Awarded $55,000
2013-2015 NHMRC Project Grant. How does the tumour suppressor: Nerfin-1 prevents dietary dependent tumour growth. Awarded $609,178
2015 Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute Foundation Grant. Awarded $50,000