Headon Lab

Welcome to the Headon Lab

Vertebrate developmental biology and periodic patterning

Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh

The group studies the genetic basis of variation in hair, feathers and associated skin structures, and how these gene variants influence embryonic development. My research career started in biomedical genetics with identification of genes underlying ectodermal dysplasia conditions – an area of ongoing activity. My interests then shifted to include addressing how those genes might play a role in defining pattern formation in the skin. I joined The Roslin Institute in 2008 to study animal and human genetics, and to define how the genetic code is interpreted to create the shape and structure of the body.