Our research topic and approach
The Girard lab studies the molecular mechanisms that govern of blood cell development (hematopoiesis) using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. Insights into the molecular mechanisms that underlie blood formation are necessary to understand the causes of blood diseases such as leukemia. Drosophila blood cells are immune cells with functional similarities to human myeloid cells such as macrophages, and despite the vast evolutionary distance that separates these two organisms, their blood cells employ some of the same molecular pathways for their development. The Girard lab investigates the process by which undifferentiated blood progenitor cells differentiate into a variety of specialized blood cell types. Our approach to this research combines the power of Drosophila genetics and microscopy with newer single cell and molecular techniques. Learn more about our research interests here.