Our laboratory focuses on 2 main topics surrounding cell-cell adhesive contacts.  First, we aim to understand the role of cell-cell adhesive contacts in essential epithelial functions including permeability barrier formation and wound healing.   Second, we aim to dissect the molecular mechanism of junction regulation during health and disease.  The overall goal of the lab is to understand how mutations in junctional molecules such as alpha-actinin-4, CD2AP, and synaptopodin leads to loss of barrier functions of the epithelial cells.