Syracuse University · BiologyCilia and Left-Right Development Lab
Heidi Hehnly · Syracuse, New York
Research Focus
The Hehnly lab at Syracuse University focuses on understanding how the Left-Right Organizer (LRO) develops in vertebrates, particularly through the role of cilia. They use zebrafish as a model to study how different types of cilia contribute to the left-right axis formation in developing organisms. Their research aims to uncover the mechanisms that guide cilia formation and function, which is important for proper heart development and other ciliated tissues.
ciliaLeft-Right Organizerheart developmentzebrafishcell division
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how cell division impacts LRO development.
AIM 02Characterize the roles of motile and non-motile cilia in LRO function.
AIM 03Analyze gene expression changes during LRO development stages.
AIM 04Study microtubule and actin reorganization in LRO cells.
AIM 05Explore fluid flow sensing mechanisms involving cilia.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturelive cell imaginggenetic manipulationtranscriptomic profilingmicrotubule labelinglaser ablationarray tomographymolecular techniquesdata analysis
Output against the department
Publications95bottom 33% of dept.694th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.3kbottom 17% of dept.862nd of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.