Dr. Shuyi Nie

Biography

Dr. Shuyi Nie received her B.S. degree in Biology from Peking University, China in 2002 and subsequently completed her Ph.D. in Cell Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2007. Her research primarily focuses on elucidating the signaling pathways involved in vertebrate gastrulation movements. Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Nie conducted postdoctoral research in the laboratory of Marianne Bronner at the California Institute of Technology. She joined Georgia Tech in Fall 2014 as an Assistant Professor. Her work addresses fundamental questions concerning how coordinated cell movements regulate animal development, particularly how groups of cells relocate during embryonic growth to form specific tissue structures. This complex process is akin to a 'ground' where cells undergo constant rearrangement during growth. Dr. Nie utilizes the neural crest model to investigate the mechanisms of cell migration in embryonic development, examining how the highly migratory stem-like cells of the neural crest contribute to a variety of tissue structures including craniofacial bones, cartilages, connective tissues of the heart, enteric nervous system of the gut, and pigment cells in the skin. Defects in their proliferation, migration, differentiation, and survival can lead to numerous diseases including birth defects, craniofacial and heart malformations, and various types of cancer. Her ongoing studies aim to uncover the regulatory mechanisms behind cell migration that achieve these extraordinary migratory abilities in development.

Research Interests

Experience