Dr Annemiek Beverdam
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Developmental and Regenerative Dermatology
Dr. Beverdam studies the genetic processes that govern development, homeostasis and regeneration of the skin in the mouse. Her research aims at understanding the genetic and molecular basis of developmental and human regenerative skin diseases such as skin cancer, which affects 2 out of 3 Australians in their life time.
She recently made the pivotal discovery that Yes-associated protein (YAP) functions as a key molecular switch in epidermal stem/progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation (Beverdam et al., JID 2013). Dr. Beverdam currently investigates the developmental genetic context in which YAP functions to control skin stem/progenitor cells in normal and in disrupted skin biology. She employs genetically manipulated mouse models, human skin samples, advanced imaging technology such as confocal microscopy and whole mouse in vivo imaging, gene and protein expression analyses and whole genome approaches to address her research questions. Her research will open up exciting new avenues for translational research and the development of treatments for human regenerative skin disease.
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