Sally Horne-Badovinac, Professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago, presents at the NITMB Collaboration Development workshop on August 14th, 2024.
“When I watch the dynamic movements of a migrating cell or think about the myriad forms of tissues, organs, and organisms, I can’t help but want to know how it all works.”
(Sally Horne-Badovinac)
On August 14th, 2024, the NSF-Simons National Institute for Theory and Mathematics in Biology convened to introduce the work of a diverse selection of biologists to mathematical theorists with the purpose of developing new collaborations that could answer important questions in biological research. The NSF-Simons NITMB Collaboration Development Workshop invited nine biologists to present their work to the NITMB community, igniting conversations and potential collaborations. Professor Sally Horne-Badovinac was one such researcher who presented at the workshop.
Sally Horne-Badovinac is a professor of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology at the University of Chicago. Horne-Badovinac’s lab currently explores how cells migrate collectively and how basement membrane ECMs are assembled.
Sally Horne-Badovinac, Professor, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Chicago
We spoke with Professor Horne-Badovinac to learn more about her work.
What is your current research area?
“I have long been interested in how sheets of cells called epithelia help to create the functional shapes of organs during development - so much so that I have been working on this question in various forms since graduate school. Epithelia are essential components of most organs in our bodies and are the most common tissue type among animals, so there is tremendous diversity to explore.”
What disciplines does your research integrate?
“Our work sits squarely at the interface between developmental biology, cell biology, and physics, but our expertise is in the first two disciplines.”
Where do you find inspiration?
“My inspiration comes almost entirely from the beauty and diversity of the natural world. When I watch the dynamic movements of a migrating cell or think about the myriad forms of tissues, organs, and organisms, I can’t help but want to know how it all works.”
What aspects of your research could be interesting to mathematicians or applied to biology?
“Within the larger field of epithelial morphogenesis, we focus on three main topics – (1) how epithelial cells migrate collectively, (2) how they build structured extracellular matrices, and (3) how both processes contribute to organ shape. To date, my lab has largely focused on studying these phenomena at the cellular and molecular levels. However, mechanics play a major role in all the biological processes we study, and we need to have a better handle on the physical aspects of the system for real progress to be made.”
What about the mission of the NITMB do you find exciting?
“Working with theorists can be incredibly satisfying because the mathematical models that emerge from the collaboration often suggest new experiments and approaches that you would not have thought of otherwise and that ultimately speed the process of discovery.”
What career achievement are you most proud of?
“Although I am proud of many of my lab’s scientific discoveries, I feel that my biggest impact has been in helping my students and postdocs become the best scientists they can be, and in helping them attain the career of their choice.”
Outside of your research, what other interests do you have?
“Some of my long-standing interests include traveling with my husband and cooking, but my current passion is orchids. I have 70 plants in my collection that represent more than 25 genera and intergeneric hybrids. It’s such a fun challenge to find the culture conditions that each plant needs to thrive, and incredibly rewarding when you succeed in getting them to bloom year after year. “
What are you hoping to work on in the future?
“We currently have a theory collaborator for our work on collective cell migration but would be excited to have someone help us understand how the viscoelastic properties of an extracellular matrix can be tuned to drive changes in organ shape.”
The NITMB community enjoyed welcoming Sally Horne-Badovinac for the NTIMB Collaboration Development Workshop. More information on Horne-Badovinac’s work is available on Pubmed and on the Lab's Website.