My lab is interested in the pattern formation of the immune system as how does a hematopoietic stem cell differentiate into multiple lineages and how do the descending leukocytes migrate properly to various locations to exert their specified functions. Our investigations take a wide range of approaches that cover various cellular and molecular methods including generation of genetically modified mice to obtain perturbations of immunological function, imaging technology to study cell migration, and gene-hunting systems to identify key players in lymphoid organogenesis. Our main goals are: a) to elucidate the relationship between transcription factors and cell surface receptors in association with lineage commitment and differentiation of lymphocytes; b) to elucidate the epigenetic machinery that stabilizes lineage determination; and c) to elucidate the mechanisms controlling leukocyte migration. The integrated information from these studies will provide us a broad view of how an effective immune system is generated and maintained.