BIO/BME Faculty Search Seminar: Dr. Weiyi Qian

Title: "Mechanobiology of Tissue Morphogenesis"

Abstract: Tissue morphogenesis is the process by which cells and tissues acquire their shape and structure during embryonic development. While the blueprint of a tissue is encoded in the genome, the execution of this developmental program is driven by mechanical interactions at molecular, cellular, and tissue scales. Understanding how these mechanical interactions arise and function in tissue morphogenesis is fundamental to elucidating normal development and the mechanisms underlying congenital malformations. During my postdoctoral work, I have investigated the biomechanics of organ formation using the zebrafish posterior lateral line—a mechanosensory organ—as a model. To form this organ, a tissue migrates along the embryo and deposits cell clusters—the mechanosensory organs—from its rear. By integrating high-resolution live imaging, mechanical force mapping, and tissue-specific protein perturbations, I uncovered the mechanisms by which a living tissue generates the forces required for collective migration and for tissue splitting through a mechanical “tug of war” between cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesions. Moving forward, my research will decode the physical, cellular, and molecular logic underlying organ formation using the lateral line sensory system and, as a new model, the zebrafish brain ventricles. This work will provide new insights into how external forces arising from inter-tissue interactions and hydrostatic pressure in living embryos instruct organ architectures. By understanding the cellular mechanics that shape tissues into functional neuronal units, I aim to elucidate the pathogenesis of neurological defects and potentially generate new avenues for treating hearing and brain disorders.