Research and Interests

Dr. Vernos has a long-standing interest in understanding the complex mechanisms and signaling pathways that coordinate the transient formation of mitotic spindles, i.e. the microtubule-based molecular machines that segregate the chromosomes during cell division. Her research specifically focuses on elucidating and identifying the complex protein networks involved in the formation of microtubule. In addition, she studies the dynamic interactions between microtubule-dependent molecular motors and chromosomes during cell division. Cell division is a life critical process, and perturbations of it may lead to cell death, abnormal proliferation and developmental defects. A thorough understanding of the mechanisms controlling cell division may thus lead to the discovery of new ways to diagnose and treat cancer, fertility and other major disorders, in which perturbations of cell division play a role.