My research program uses zebrafish to answer questions about vertebrate chromatin that would be difficult to address in other animal or cell culture systems. Our primary focus is on a repressive form of chromatin called heterochromatin. I have 13 years of experience in zebrafish research. My group has published papers that use zebrafish at developmental stages from the early blastula to adulthood. I have demonstrated experience manipulating gene activity and protein function in zebrafish embryos through injecting mRNA, chemical inhibitors, and morpholinos. I also have expertise performing Tol2 mediated transgenesis and CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene editing in zebrafish. In total, my group has already established 18 zebrafish lines with mutations in chromatin related genes. I have 20 years of experience working in chromatin biology. I have expertise with molecular approaches such as DNA methylation and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. My group regularly combines these molecular approaches with cell-based approaches including immunohistochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. I have also developed fluorescent transgene reporters that enable in vivo monitoring of repeat induced transcriptional silencing across zebrafish development. My research program strives to utilize the unique combination of tools and skills available in our laboratory to open up underexplored research areas and to pursue the most impactful research questions possible. The creativity and adaptability of our research program is evident in my group’s publication record, which documents insights gained from distinct research projects all designed to maximize the advantages of zebrafish for the study of chromatin

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