Allan Spradling

Dr. Spradling's laboratory studies the biology of reproduction. By studying ovarian stem cells, they learn how cells maintain an undifferentiated state and how cell production is regulated by microenvironments known as niches. His lab has found that epithelial stem cells responsible for follicle cell production compete. Replacement of damaged stem cells may be a major mechanism that limits somatic mutation, and that mutations exist that confer the ability to replace wild type cells. Such mutations may be precursors to cellular aging and cancer.