I have been studying biological movements for 33 years and continue to be fascinated by how simple conformational changes in proteins can result in the production of the forces necessary to create cell movement. My academic background in cellular movement began at the University of Michigan Medical School where I studied the kinesin and myosin molecular motors in cellular transport. After earning my Ph.D. I moved to the University of Massachusetts Medical School as a post-doc working on cell migration and cellular mechanics. I began my own lab in the Biology Department at Wayne State University, "migrating" here to join the rich community of cancer biologists associated with the Karmanos Cancer Institute. My lab now focuses on how mechanical forces influence the multi-step process of cancer metastasis. In this study we will create a more physiologically relevant assay to test if the myosin (Myh9) alters a cancer cells ability to invade when it receives mechanical signals in its microenvironment.
