Our Labs

Exploring the molecular signals behind liver regeneration, our laboratory investigates how this remarkable organ restores both structure and function after injury or disease. Using rodent partial hepatectomy and complementary models, we focus on extrahepatic factors that regulate liver mass and regenerative capacity. Translating these insights to human liver disorders, we have identified a novel metabolomic marker with potential to predict clinical outcomes in pediatric acute liver failure, bridging fundamental research with real-world impact.

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Enhancing pediatric critical care through predictive models and decision support tools, our team specializes in translational biomedical informatics to transform high-resolution EHR data into actionable insights. By developing machine learning-driven solutions that integrate seamlessly into clinical workflows, we aim to improve decision-making at the bedside and advance personalized care for critically ill children.

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Studying how cells regulate metabolic programs and their link to neurological disease our lab uses genetics, cell biology and systems biology to uncover how dysfunction in these networks drives neurodegeneration. Our ultimate goal is to translate this knowledge into therapeutic strategies for disorders of the nervous system.

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Exploring inflammation’s role in blood cancer and optimizing treatment our lab studies how inflammatory signals affect hematopoietic stem cells and contribute to malignancies. While inflammation is essential for immune defense prolonged exposure can impair stem cell function and drive clonal expansion of mutant cells leading to blood cancers. By understanding these responses we aim to improve stem cell health and develop strategies to prevent hematopoietic malignancies.

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Exploring cellular mechanisms that govern protein targeting, degradation and placental development, our laboratory investigates how intracellular pathways maintain homeostasis and regulate receptor-mediated endocytosis. By studying protein processing within endosomal and lysosomal systems and the molecular biology of syncytia formation in placental trophoblasts, we aim to uncover fundamental processes that influence health and disease. Our integrated approach provides insights into cellular regulation with implications for developmental biology and therapeutic innovation.

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Delivering personalized gut microbiome-based risk assessment and antibiotic stewardship to combat pediatric sepsis our lab aims to reduce morbidity and mortality from bacterial infections in infants by improving diagnostics and treatment strategies. We study how antibiotics disrupt the gut microbiome and immune development, increasing sepsis risk. Using microbial sequencing, immune profiling and computational modeling we develop algorithms to predict sepsis risk and guide optimal antibiotic therapy for vulnerable pediatric populations.

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Developing safer less toxic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children our research focuses on reduced intensity transplantation for hemoglobinopathies such as sickle cell disease and thalassemia using the best available related or alternate donors. Building on multi-center trials like the SCURT trial for severe sickle cell disease and the URTH trial for thalassemia we are now exploring reduced intensity approaches for non-malignant disorders using minimally mismatched marrow or cord blood donors.

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Advancing genomics and metabolic research in maternal-fetal health our work focuses on genomic disorders, cytogenetic abnormalities, skeletal dysplasia and the genetic basis of autism. We use reverse genomics to characterize phenotypes with emphasis on 16p11.2 rearrangements and develop novel methods for detecting metabolic conditions. As co-director of the Women and Infants’ Health Specimen Consortium we also investigate metabolomics and feto-maternal interactions during pregnancy.

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Exploring host antiviral responses to commensal and pathogenic interactions, our research focuses on uncovering the mechanisms that drive innate immune defenses against viral infections. We also investigate how the microbiota influences the establishment and maintenance of antiviral immunity, aiming to reveal insights that inform new strategies for disease prevention and treatment.

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Decoding insulin resistance through rare genetic syndromes, our laboratory investigates severe insulin resistance disorders as unique experiments of nature to uncover fundamental principles of insulin signaling. Leveraging patient-derived models and CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, we create transgenic mice and induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into key cell types, enabling deep insights into molecular pathology and therapeutic discovery. These approaches bridge basic biology with translational strategies to improve care for metabolic disease.

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Advancing molecular diagnosis of infectious diseases our lab develops tests to detect a wide range of pathogens including all known human herpes viruses, polyoma viruses JC and BK, parvovirus B19, enteroviruses, HIV, Toxoplasma gondii, Bordetella pertussis and parapertussis, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, Bartonella, Leptospira, Borrelia, Mycoplasma pneumoniae and Chlamydia pneumoniae. We specialize in quantitative assays for CMV, EBV, HHV-6 and BK virus and have implemented commercial tests for HIV RNA, hepatitis C RNA, hepatitis C genotyping and hepatitis B DNA. Our work also includes detecting antiviral resistance in CMV and hepatitis B virus and identifying bacterial antibiotic resistance such as methicillin, fluoroquinolone and macrolide resistance.

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Defining molecular features driving leukemogenesis to improve outcomes in acute leukemia our lab investigates pathways that differ between malignant and healthy cells, promote chemotherapy resistance and support leukemia stem cell biology. Current projects focus on intracellular metabolism including amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, cellular energetics and polyunsaturated fatty acid metabolism, the unfolded protein response and its role in stress adaptation and mitochondrial regulation critical for cancer cell survival. We also examine how these mechanisms influence healthy hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells to guide rational therapeutic strategies.

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Exploring how gut microbiota shape disease outcomes, this laboratory investigates microbial influences on pediatric health through genomic sequencing, clinical data and collaborative research. With a focus on gastrointestinal diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis, projects integrate metagenomics, cohort studies and phylogenetic analysis to uncover microbial drivers of disease and inform future therapeutic strategies.

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Investigating how pharmacological agents reshape cellular behavior in health and disease, the Taylor Lab at WashU Medicine studies the mechanisms that drive normal and malignant hematopoiesis to improve treatment outcomes for children with cancer. Childhood leukemia arises when genetic mutations disrupt normal blood cell formation and convert healthy cells into cancerous ones, yet major questions remain about how these mutations hijack cellular machinery to sustain disease. Transcription factors — molecular switches that control gene expression — play a central role in this process. In healthy blood development, they guide the programs that determine cell fate, but in leukemia these switches are corrupted to promote malignant growth. The Taylor Lab works to define how these transcriptional networks are rewired and how they can be therapeutically redirected to restore healthy function.

Investigating early-life origins of liver disease, our laboratory examines how maternal and paternal diet, microbiome shifts and exercise shape offspring liver health. Grounded in the developmental origins hypothesis, we focus on how in utero and perinatal events influence risk for chronic conditions such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with particular emphasis on the impact of parental over-nutrition.

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Investigating how hormonal changes during pregnancy shape long-term cardiovascular health, our center explores the molecular mechanisms linking gestational hyperandrogenism and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals with adverse maternal and fetal cardio-metabolic outcomes. By integrating large animal models with cellular and molecular biology, we aim to uncover pathways that predispose offspring to cardiovascular disease and identify strategies for prevention and treatment. Our work advances the developmental origins of health and disease framework, driving innovation in early-life interventions.

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Decoding the genetic causes of rare childhood diseases through cutting-edge genomics, our lab is committed to uncovering the molecular basis of severe conditions and birth defects in infants and children. Using advanced sequencing technologies such as whole exome and genome sequencing, RNASeq and gene expression profiling, we identify pathogenic variants and investigate their functional impact. Our focus on disorders of pulmonary surfactant metabolism, including genes like SFTPB, SFTPC, ABCA3 and NKX2-1, aims to reveal new therapeutic targets and improve outcomes for children facing life-threatening respiratory diseases.

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Driving innovation in large-scale genomics, Todd Wylie brings over two decades of expertise in biology, informatics and analytics to advance genomic research and technology development. From contributing to the first human genome sequence to pioneering tools like ViroCap, Wylie has led efforts spanning cancer genomics, microbial analysis and high-throughput sequencing. His work bridges wet lab and computational science, delivering transformative solutions that enhance diagnostics and expand the frontiers of genomic medicine.

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Investigating maternal-microbe dynamics our lab studies how the vaginal microbiome and maternal immune response interact to influence reproductive outcomes. Through longitudinal analysis of pregnancy samples and in vitro and in vivo models we aim to uncover mechanisms linking microbial changes and viral infections to preterm birth, ultimately identifying biomarkers for better prediction and prevention.

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Advancing understanding of dietary fat digestion, this research focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which pancreatic lipases process fats in young children to support healthy growth and development. Complementary studies examine proteotoxicity in chronic pancreatitis, using misfolded mutant pancreatic lipases as a model to identify pathways that could lead to novel therapeutic strategies.

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