https://www.munjallab.com/research daily 0.75 2025-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1620936665715-W7K39TF0EL64MHF70B6B/ezgif-6-c4672cca2b91.gif Research https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1618786013096-MQ4R8TY8JG82W94RRGBG/Movie+S1.gif Research Zebrafish inner ear morphogenesis https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1620849056508-ITQAH5A0XKWV1ADZOSYG/ear.png Research Morphogenesis of the semicircular canals from the otic epithelium (anterior, posterior and lateral canals labelled as 1, 2 and 3 respectively) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1620850434370-AD1L5YU5CWRY7PY29J9M/aim1.png Research - The Extracellular Matrix https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1620921025234-EMAQ43CB3KXVINLZE4XS/aim3.png Research - Multi-scale feedbacks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1620921053493-XS9XYXB935B0KY5K58GJ/aim2.png Research - Tissue Geometry https://www.munjallab.com/team daily 0.75 2025-10-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/a9643dbe-6e5c-43c8-9805-4ba396059cab/Munjal_headshot.jpg Team https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/492213fc-f56f-4441-8d2a-b7451536bfe9/PXL_20220902_144938373.jpg Team Yusuke Mori (he/him), PhD Postdoctoral Associate Interested in the complexity of cellular society and morphogenesis. Fascinated by the wonders of biology. Besides science, a big fan of sports and cooking nice food! Contact: yusuke.mori@duke.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/7eabc755-a3a8-4286-8851-995bbe0f6c8c/Kira_ProfilePic.jpg Team Kira Heikes, PhD Postdoctoral Associate Enamored with watching biology and exploring its secrets. Family is my world. Thankful for baking, dogs, and dance. Contact: kira.heikes@duke.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/136c192f-8f47-4f3e-9e40-52ee9656b89b/Vishank+Website+Picture.jpg Team Vishank Jain-Sharma, PhD Postdoctoral Associate Interested in the physics of living systems. Seeking to uncover the “Newton’s Laws” which govern the form and function of animal development. I love exploring wildlife and spending time with friends and family. Contact: vishank.jain-sharma@duke.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/d4588ef6-015c-4112-b428-da8635047481/IMG_9942.jpg Team Jiacheng Wang Graduate Student Broadly interested in developmental biology. Looking to understand complex development in a quantitative way. Always exploring. Contact: jiacheng.wang@duke.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/40f50910-0f2e-4f8f-8024-5ee1f1abd25d/IMG_0673.jpg Team Belle Cheney (she/her) Research Technician Intrigued by the impact development has on behavior. Always excited to learn something new. Outside of research I love hiking, camping, and reading. Contact: anne.cheney@duke.edu https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/e26ea68f-51c3-4ecc-bc5b-07e6ff1c6007/Nadia_headshot.jpg Team Nadia Eliora Graduate Student Fascinated by the development of complex shapes from simple tissues Contact: nadia.eliora@duke.edu https://www.munjallab.com/publications daily 0.75 2025-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/85afac25-865f-45eb-9653-9359d4163b37/FHPdux3WYAEeUqp.jpeg Publications - We made it to the cover of Cell! Image credit: Sabina Hahn On the cover: Pressure from the extracellular matrix (rather than forces from inside cells) can remodel epithelial tissues during morphogenesis. In this issue, Munjal et al. (6313–6325) show that hyaluronate swelling can deform an epithelial tissue into buds, and “cinches” from the cells can shape the forces to turn the bud into a tube, revealing an alternative mechanism for tissue morphogenesis. The cover image captures how science at its core is based on the innate child-like curiosity that is common to humans of all backgrounds and lets us understand nature with simple tools (a microscope) and reagents (fish eggs) through collaboration with others. The lily pads on which the children sit represent epithelial tissues deforming under the pressure of water. https://www.munjallab.com/join-us daily 0.75 2026-03-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/35bf30b2-5cd0-4334-b761-205b157a6cfe/Research+Tech+II+Position+2-26.jpg https://www.munjallab.com/home daily 1.0 2025-09-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1621345410572-MKTH3SN00A00YMZO0H8W/ezgif-3-6aa13b246e5b.gif Home - Video highlighting the multi-scale dynamics of inner ear morphogenesis in a 2 day old zebrafish embryo https://www.munjallab.com/contact daily 0.75 2022-08-10 https://www.munjallab.com/lab-news daily 0.75 2026-02-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1dc93cde-4736-426f-bd66-177b7cc9e643/Screenshot+2025-04-04+111921.png Lab News Happy birthday, Nadia! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/fc7f4e5e-8785-4ae1-b8b8-fd68a0b252e6/Nadia_s+Birthday.jpg Lab News Happy bithday, Nadia! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/b19977f1-b213-4ba5-abe3-f3943be92017/Belle_s+Birthday.jpg Lab News Happy birthday, Belle! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/d589a979-ef8e-4be7-b1b4-c616af9e0c6b/IMG_0013.jpg Lab News Happy birthday, Belle! Featuring a delicious vegan cake made by Vishank! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/cb251cc5-1f8b-494f-b1a4-0c95cc1c0fe4/Lab+Hike+03.jpg Lab News Having fun at our early morning lab hike! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/689108d6-2cbf-433c-b22c-342a5ead4a37/Eclipse+02.jpg Lab News Sierra, Nadia, and Erica enjoying the solar eclipse! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/88113887-228e-45bc-b3d3-bb388133756a/Nadia_s+Birthday.jpg Lab News Happy birthday, Nadia! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/49116124-131c-4b41-afd0-9d029e2f31cc/IMG_0068.jpg Lab News Celebrating Nadia's birthday! So glad she's in our lab! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/effc3f77-8ab1-4390-acee-4340389fa7ce/Lab+Hike+01.jpg Lab News Having fun at our early morning lab hike! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/acb56c4c-1bc4-4534-bc9a-95db01128a56/Jiacheng_s+Prelim+03.jpg Lab News Congratulations to Jiacheng for passing his prelim! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/2dd12be6-e844-4b43-a7f6-13a71f07d865/20241206_151715.jpg Lab News Huge congratulations to Yusuke on receiving the Uehara Memorial Foundation Fellowship! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1773425536877-W3JYVZ9946HWKKSNROL9/IMG_0098.jpg Lab News Celebrating Belle's acceptance to grad school with a visit to the Duke Gardens cherry blossoms!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/3b316dea-0088-42fe-b6d9-4fc787122c15/Lab+Hike+04.jpg Lab News Post hike Sunday brunch at Guglhupf bakery https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/73a88d5a-2622-45f5-a776-7b45d7ab8ece/Nadia_s+Prelim+01.jpg Lab News Congratulations to Nadia for passing her prelim! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/36a1065f-dab8-4e6a-8f6a-41cd34b7d726/Hanami_01.jpg Lab News Celebrating spring with a Hanami picnic in the Duke Gardens https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/d893009e-fd37-4f44-af31-9274b4d43a44/Gouri_s+Visit+01.jpg Lab News Visiting Duke's "Art of a Scientist" exhibit during Gouri's visit to Durham! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/4fdfa58f-2c62-46cc-8617-62963239aef5/Sierra_s+Birthday+01.jpg Lab News Happy bithday, Sierra! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/ae727faf-2638-44ba-825b-09becbd36b87/Hanami_02.jpg Lab News Celebrating spring with a Hanami picnic in the Duke Gardens https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/c70376d4-f927-42d8-b08e-157b5f7c18ae/Gouri_s+Visit+02.jpg Lab News Closing Gouri's visit to Durham with a lab dinner https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/6001e353-55f1-488c-ba29-ef82d7b199b9/Erica_s+Poster+Presentation.jpg Lab News Congratulations to Erica on presenting her senior thesis! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/ad9ed0b5-20ef-475d-9534-f8c2b1c00501/IMG_6531.jpg Lab News Meeting our newest future lab partner!!! Congratulations Akankshi and Aydin! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/7d9bff7a-ba18-4145-b023-586284460d07/Cell+Bio+Retreat+-+Sierra.jpg Lab News Sierra presenting at the Duke Cell Biology departmental retreat https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/ad779558-7f78-4684-a3a5-6bede18b9d62/EC9_0163.jpg Lab News A massive congrats to Erica for graduating with her undergraduate degree from Duke this weekend! We'll miss you, and we wish you luck with your next steps! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/2d68a58f-e72c-4c60-ad47-130912938df6/20250620_143133.jpg Lab News Yusuke presents his poster at SDB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/bd7a0720-9b49-448e-9701-f9114d3cd787/Cell+Bio+Retreat+-+Yusuke.jpg Lab News Yusuke presenting at the Duke Cell Biology departmental retreat https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/efe9d5b7-8492-4887-9df4-a5ca95db1bbe/Cooking+at+Akankshi_s.jpg Lab News Huge congratulations to Sierra on her acceptance to the Integrated Toxicology and Environmental Health program at Duke. We will miss you in lab! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/c0462336-e4f4-4228-a30d-217b872285c4/IMG_0076.jpg Lab News Nadia presents her poster at SDB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/6570f66c-51ec-49bc-848b-bf49831cd4e8/Yusuke+%26+Jiacheng+Birthday+01.jpg Lab News Happy belated birthdays to Yusuke, Jiacheng, and Akankshi! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/58b6dc90-da2d-4629-8d9c-debf9d02c229/Cell+Bio+Retreat.JPG Lab News Lab dinner following Yusuke and Sierra's presentations at the Duke Cell Biology departmental retreat https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/ad3e0c13-e068-4a46-aabd-73dd9d6836ff/Kira_s+Birthday.JPG Lab News Happy birthday and a major congratulations to Kira for being awarded an F32 grant! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/3620fe82-ba3b-4ef1-9729-5b75d8c7265b/Jiacheng_s+Birthday.JPG Lab News Happy birthday, Jiacheng! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/5f707dad-23e9-4d23-918d-9d99c28ec476/20240919_092224.jpg Lab News Jiacheng presenting at the annual Cell Biology departmental retreat https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/001c3a9a-e334-4f63-a48a-6ea4023f74d8/1000047810.jpg Lab News Kira presents her poster at West Coast SDB https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/2ec9f1f4-6a41-428c-a3d0-edb3755cbde6/IMG_4295.JPEG Lab News Holliday Lab Potluck https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/01bf9fbd-c3eb-44fb-b73f-c04edf2406e4/Nadia_s+Retreat+Presentation.jpg Lab News Nadia presenting at the annual Cell Biology departmental retreat where she won best graduate student talk! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/f1fb8926-e487-4cdd-b72f-815d08e3450f/jiacheng+presenting.jpg Lab News Jiacheng presents a talk at the annual Cell Biology department retreat! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/79c11f6d-46ae-4dbc-b4c0-ed3a808c9af2/IMG_4300.JPEG Lab News Holliday Lab Potluck https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/bb1caae7-ccd9-4287-bc51-de7df47b94b1/Retreat+Bar+Social.jpg Lab News Cell Biology departmental retreat- bar social https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/5bba54b6-1b33-48d7-a9c2-d8ee33836926/20250904_171426.jpg Lab News Kira and Nadia presented posters and won lab olympics at the annual department retreat! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/f67923cc-bb76-4fcb-9a86-4fa7b7922ea9/Retreat+Hike.jpg Lab News A rejuvenating hike during the Cell Biology departmental retreat! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/1761580091048-EEQ6M4GLIH9BCWVE3O97/20251008_135324.jpg Lab News Belle gave her first presentation at Duke Zebrafish Meeting! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/cca25460-740b-4e2e-b884-44cfcda995cd/Jiacheng+QSL+Launch+03.jpg Lab News Jiacheng presenting at QLS https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/d7183463-cd78-4e6d-8b14-b067bc6a7229/IMG_4743.jpg Lab News A HUGE WELCOME to our newest lab member Vishank! Thanks for hiking to see the beautiful NC fall colors with us. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/8c08e2f7-6d30-4fc4-8518-d56dd2a77fa7/PXL_20241206_201741377.jpg Lab News Celebrating our paper's acceptance with Yusuke and Sierra! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/c2748322-a5a9-498d-80b8-ca17126887db/IMG_8178.jpg Lab News Welcome to our rotation students, Isabella and Sam! Thanks for dressing up as Nerds with us! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/3d7b8dbc-f423-47e8-ba5a-eac3241ff260/IMG_5597.jpg Lab News Celebrating our paper's acceptance with Yusuke and Sierra! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/9fb2bff0-3904-42ed-803f-1022de907784/PXL_20251110_182522064.jpg Lab News Celebrating our rotation student, Isabella's, birthday!!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/fbf8c9c7-3e37-4cbf-83d9-fbd86614039d/IMG_5508+%281%29.jpg Lab News Welcoming our rotation students Newt, Christine, and Khaliun! Thanks for celebrating our department Halloween dressed as mad scientists with us! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/947c87e4-9298-4989-aca0-5196f5bbfa30/IMG_8292.jpg Lab News Had a wonderful labsgiving potluck! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/68fc6fca-4fc1-44c1-813f-5ec792da94b0/Rotation+Party+02.jpg Lab News Celebrating Newt, Christine, and Khaliun's successful rotation with a lab dinner! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/54c053fc-ef56-4fb0-a3ea-c8b5fd5ba78f/IMG_3535.jpg Lab News Yusuke presenting his work at ASCB Cell Bio 2025 in Philadelphia! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/9829d975-360c-4c03-ba95-17c32d16d93a/IMG_7318.jpg Lab News Jiacheng and Yusuke at ASCB where they both presented posters https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/c867b8f7-d691-4e83-ba9a-ad5a067c3e4e/IMG_1583.jpg Lab News Jiacheng presenting a poster at ASCB Cell Bio 2025 in Philadelphia! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/607b5165f39bbf6801da3fec/41163d82-36b5-41c5-9c6a-6b34dd2c9610/IMG_2377.jpg Lab News Yusuke presenting a talk at ASCB