Matthew J. Tyska, Ph.D.
Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair
Professor of Cell & Developmental Biology
Scientific Director, Vanderbilt Cell Imaging Shared Resource
Fellow, American Society for Cell Biology
Cytoskeletal control of epithelial cell morphology and function
The overarching goal of the Tyska Laboratory is to understand how transporting epithelial cells assemble a functional apical surface. Intestinal epithelial cells in particular build one of the most elaborate apical specializations, an array of microvilli known as the brush border. Our current studies are investigating how enterocytes assemble this domain, how the brush border contributes to maintaining physiological homeostasis, and how perturbation of this interface by inherited or infectious causes leads to human disease. The Tyska Laboratory has made a number of fundamental and field-leading discoveries on the assembly and function of the brush border interface. During this time, our research program has evolved an approach that combines elements of biochemistry, physiology, biophysics, and cell biology. Although light and electron microscopy serve as our principle discovery tools, our investigations are decidedly broad in scope, ranging from physiological experiments in mouse model systems, to optical trap-based measurements on single cells, to single molecule imaging in live cells. Importantly, the critical physiological significance of the brush border means that many of our basic science findings hold direct relevance for understanding human intestinal disease.