Welcome to the lab, Emma Blazure!

We are delighted to welcome Emma Blazure to the Hehnly Lab as an undergraduate research scholar in the Biology Program at Syracuse University.

Emma will be investigating the role of the centrosome in left–right organizer (LRO) morphogenesis and function, with a focus on how centrosome organization and remodeling contribute to cilia assembly, tissue architecture, and developmental patterning. Her project integrates quantitative imaging and ultrastructural perspectives to address fundamental questions in cell and developmental biology.

We are excited to have Emma join the team and look forward to her contributions to our ongoing efforts to understand how centrosome structure and function shape embryonic development. Welcome, Emma!

Welcome Amy!

We are pleased to welcome Amy Kolb to the Hehnly Lab as our new Lab Manager and Research Analyst. Amy will play a central role in supporting day-to-day laboratory operations, ensuring regulatory compliance and safety, and facilitating experimental workflows across projects. Her position will be instrumental in maintaining a well-organized, efficient, and collaborative research environment as the lab continues to expand its research and training activities. We are delighted to have Amy join the team and look forward to working closely with her.

Lab Highlights from ASCB 2025 in Philadelphia

This December, members of the Hehnly Lab traveled to Philadelphia to present their work at the 2025 American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting.

Yan Wu presented her poster, “Mitotically driven cytoskeletal reorganization governs zebrafish left–right organizer detachment from the EVL and lumen morphogenesis.” This work highlights how dynamic mitotic events shape tissue architecture during early embryogenesis and reflects a major collaborative effort within the lab. In addition to Yan’s leadership on the project, Yiling Lan and summer undergraduate Miriam Athena Allred made substantial experimental and conceptual contributions, with additional contributions from Carys Timpson during her summer research period.

Yiling Lan also presented his work, “Developmental stage–specific centrosome remodeling by cenexin–pericentrin in vertebrate embryogenesis,” which explores how centrosome composition and organization are developmentally regulated to support morphogenesis. While at ASCB, Yiling had the opportunity to reconnect with former lab member Erin Curtis, now completing her PhD jointly at MIT and Duke— a reminder of the extended scientific community that grows from shared training experiences.

We were also excited to have Albert Adhya attend ASCB as he begins his journey in the lab. For Albert, the meeting served as an immersive introduction to the broader cell biology community and an opportunity to see firsthand how scientific ideas are communicated and refined. The group capped off the meeting with a celebratory dinner at Morimoto—an excellent way to mark a successful and energizing conference.

Yan Wu and Yiling Lan represent Hehnly Lab at the BioInspired Symposium!

The Hehnly Lab wants to extend our congratulations to Yiling Lan (Ph.D. candidate) and Yan Wu (Postdoctoral Researcher) for their excellent presentations at the BioInspired Institute Symposium last Friday.

Both presented posters showcasing their ongoing work in developmental cell biology.

• Yiling also gave an oral presentation in the Development and Disease focus group, highlighting emerging evidence on how the centrosome—particularly the potential interaction between Cenexin and Pericentrin—contributes to early embryogenesis.

• Yan presented her progress on the role of cell division in Kupffer’s Vesicle (KV) morphogenesis, with a focus on how the KV disengages from the enveloping layer (EVL).