Research

I am interested in education research and exploring the tools and methods that help students learn best, in particular to biology and the sciences.

Scientifically, I am a molecular/cellular/developmental biologist by training. My past lab research primarily used zebrafish as a model system to study sensory systems, and understanding how sensory cells undergo death and regeneration after injury.

Here are some images from my research:

Zebrafish neuromast with dividing cells. Winner of Zeiss Confocal Contest 2006.
Zebrafish heart cells migrated onto a tissue culture plate. Image courtesy of R. Ramsden.
Zebrafish olfactory sensory neurons.

Publications

Ma EY, Heffern K, Cheresh J, and Gallagher EP. 2018. Differential copper-induced death and regeneration of olfactory sensory neuron populations and neurobehavioral function in zebrafish. Manuscript submitted for publication.

George AA, Hayden S, Holzhausen LC, Ma EY, Suzuki SC, and Brockerhoff SE. 2014.  Synaptojanin-1 is required for endolysosomal trafficking of synaptic proteins in cone photoreceptor inner segments.  PLoS One.  9(1):e84394.

Ma EY,Lewis A, Barabas P, Stearns G, Suzuki S, Krizaj D, and Brockerhoff SE. 2013.  Loss of Pde6 reduces cell body Ca2+transients within photoreceptors. Cell Death Dis.  4:e797.

Ma EYand Raible DW.  2009. Signaling pathways regulating zebrafish lateral line development.  Review. Curr. Biology. 19(9): R381-386.

Ma EY, Rubel EW, Raible DW.  2008. Notch signaling regulates the extent of hair cell regeneration in the zebrafish lateral line.  J Neurosci.  28(9): 2261-2273.

Roberts B, Davidson B, MacMaster G, Lockhart V, Ma E, Wallace SS, Swalla BJ.  2007.  A complement response may activate metamorphosis in the ascidian Boltenia villosa. Dev Genes Evol.  217(6): 449-58.

Wang EY, Ma EY, Woodruff TK.  2003. Activin signal transduction in the fetal rat adrenal gland and in human H295R cells.  J Endocrinol.  178: 137-48.

Narula A, Kilen S, Ma E, Kroeger J, Goldberg E, Woodruff TK.  2002.  Smad4 overexpression causes germ cell ablation and leydig cell hyperplasia in transgenic mice.  Am J Pathol.161: 1723-34.