Welcoming Joey McDonald to the Lab

We are pleased to welcome Joey McDonald to the lab for his rotation this semester. Joey will be investigating the role of centrosomes in left–right axis determination, a central question in our efforts to understand how cellular architecture and cytoskeletal organization contribute to tissue-level asymmetry during development.

During his rotation, Joey will gain experience in zebrafish-based experimental approaches and advanced imaging strategies used to study Kupffer’s Vesicle morphogenesis and cilia function. We look forward to his contributions and to supporting his development in cell and developmental biology research.

Celebrating Yan Wu’s Next Chapter

We are excited to share that Yan Wu will be transitioning from the Hehnly Lab as she begins an exciting new position in Boston.

During her time in the lab, Yan made foundational contributions to our understanding of left–right organizer development, particularly through her work on mitotic regulation, cytoskeletal organization, and tissue morphogenesis in zebrafish. Her leadership on projects examining cytokinetic bridges, microtubule dynamics, and epithelialization has been instrumental in shaping several ongoing and published studies. Beyond her scientific contributions, Yan has been an exceptional mentor and collaborator, fostering a rigorous and supportive research environment.

We are grateful for Yan’s many contributions to the lab and look forward to seeing the continued impact of her work in this next phase of her career. We wish her all the best in Boston.

Left to Right: Prabhu, Albert, Isa, Yan, Amy, Joey, Lan, Heidi

Hehnly Lab Highlight: Favour Ononiwu Interview on Recent Study

We are excited to share a first-person interview featuring Hehnly Lab PhD graduate Favour Ononiwu, discussing her recent work on the zebrafish left–right organizer. Her study provides new structural insights into centrosomes and cilia using volume electron microscopy, advancing our understanding of how cellular architecture supports developmental patterning.

Hear directly from Favour about the scientific motivation, experimental approaches, and key findings behind this work:
👉 Read the interview

Ultrastructural Insights into Centrosomes and Cilia in the Zebrafish Left–Right Organizer

We are pleased to share our recent publication, Insights into the zebrafish Left-Right Organizer's Centrosomes and Cilia via Volume Electron Microscopy, now in print in Biology Open. This study represents a collaboration between the Hehnly and Narayan laboratories and was led by recently graduated Ph.D. student Dr. Favour Ononiwu.

This work addresses a longstanding gap in our understanding of how ultrastructural organization within the left–right organizer contributes to symmetry breaking during vertebrate development. Using volumetric electron microscopy (vEM), we generated a near-complete three-dimensional reconstruction of the zebrafish Kupffer’s vesicle at nanometer resolution, enabling systematic analysis of cilia, centrioles, appendages, and associated vesicular structures in their native tissue context. Our findings reveal previously unappreciated heterogeneity in centrosome architecture and cilia-associated structures, including variability in centriole composition, appendage organization, and the presence of distinct vesicle populations associated with cilia.

Beyond these biological insights, this study establishes a framework for integrating volumetric ultrastructural datasets with developmental and functional analyses, providing a resource for the field and a foundation for future studies of ciliated tissues and left–right patterning mechanisms.

You can find the paper here: https://journals.biologists.com/bio/article/15/3/bio062489/371101/Insights-into-the-zebrafish-left-right-organizer-s