Kate Woronowicz
I treat evolution as one big forward-genetic screen to uncover mechanisms that modulate craniofacial form. For example, I can ask, “Within this group of diverse fishes, are there consistent genomic regions or pathways that are altered in species with large jaws?” Through this, I am extending our understanding of craniofacial development, evolution, and disease.
This work led to a publication on genetic and developmental sources of variation in a radiation of salmonid fishes. In another project, I uncovered a previously undescribed population of chondroid-like, cranial neural crest-derived cells that contribute to craniofacial morphology. I am currently defining the gene expression profile of these cells, their contributions to the jaw structures, and their cell biology through zebrafish genetic tools and spatial transcriptomics.
Related Projects
Craniofacial development and disease
The fundamentals of hat fitting.
Origins and proportions of the jaw
Taking a bite out of time.
Shifting size and form
Different shapes for different capes.
Publications
- ** Woronowicz, K. C.*, Esin, E. V., Markevich, G. N., Martinez, C. S., McMenamin, S. K., Daane, J. M., Harris, M. P. and Shkil, F. N.* (2024). Phylogenomic analysis of the Lake Kronotskoe species flock of Dolly Varden charr reveals genetic and developmental signatures of sympatric radiation. Development, dev.203002 (2024).
- Khrystoforova, I., Shochat-Carvalho, C., Harari, R., Henke, K., Woronowicz, K., Harris, M. P. and Karasik, D. (2022). Zebrafish mutants reveal unexpected role of Lrp5 in osteoclast regulation. Frontiers in Endocrinology 13.
- Alhazmi, N., Carroll, S. H., Kawasaki, K., Woronowicz, K. C., Hallett, S. A., Macias Trevino, C., Li, E. B., Baron, R., Gori, F., Yelick, P. C., et al. (2021). Synergistic roles of Wnt modulators R-spondin2 and R-spondin3 in craniofacial morphogenesis and dental development. Scientific Reports 11(1): 5871.