Dr. Ekker's main research interests lie in the evolution and regulation of families of genes involved in embryonic development. He pursues the characterization of developmental genes in zebra fish and mice with a particular emphasis on the Dlx homeobox genes. The Dlx genes are studied more particularly in the context of forebrain and brachial arch development. Finally, the Ekker laboratory is using zebra fish as a model for Parkinson’s disease
