Speaking at Mount Sinai's Department of Cell, Developmental & Regenerative Biology

On May 21st Dr. Hehnly gave an invited talk at Mount Sinai's Department of Cell, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, hosted by Dr. Sergei Sokol. The seminar presented work from two members of the lab — Favour Ononiwu, Yiling Lan and Prabhu Sankaralingam — focused on centrosome dynamics and the consequences of centrosome protein loss in the zebrafish embryo.

The zebrafish embryo offers a powerful window into early cell division, and this work addresses how the centrosome is regulated during those critical first stages of development. 

Dr. Hehnly had a great time visiting the Department and Central Park!

Congrats to Hehnly Lab Senior Isa Morales

Isa is in the Biology and Forensics graduating class of 2026! She’s been with us for the past 2-3 years caring for the fish, genotyping, and leading her own SOURCE funded project. We will miss her and can’t wait to see all that she does in graduate school at SU in Forensics! Congrats Isa!

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