About us

About us
Research:

In the Berg Lab, we use the Drosophila melanogaster laid egg and its predecessor, the egg chamber, to investigate the cellular, molecular, and evolutionary mechanisms that underlie cell communication and cell migration, two processes critical for development and human disease progression. The main questions of the lab are, what are the signaling pathways that pattern and define cell fate of the follicular epithelium surrounding the oocyte during oogenesis? What is the link between these cell fates and the subsequent cell shape-changes and movements that reorganize the flat epithelium into two closed tubes? What is the evolutionary signature of this signaling repertoire?  Using a combination of cellular, molecular, and genomic approaches in Drosophila melanogaster and other Drosophilid species, we explore signaling pathways and their evolution in the context of epithelial tube formation.

Mentoring:

In the lab, we highly value training, mentoring, and outreach.  Professor Celeste Berg is invested in sharing knowledge and training all her students to their maximum potential.  All lab members have opportunities to mentor new scientist in the field, including but no limited to high school students, undergrads, and summer interns.

Learn more about our research, our scientists and learning opportunities by exploring our site.

Join the Lab:

Please contact us. Celeste Berg’s lab has open positions for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.  One postdoctoral position is available with a negotiable start date.  We welcome graduate students from the UW Genome Sciences department and the MCB program. Undergraduate positions are currently closed.

If interested in joining the lab, please send a current CV with your education and other training, publications, and contact information along with a cover letter that describes your research interests and includes names, addresses, and email contacts for three referees.