Ph.D student, Rae and Edith Bennett Travelling Scholarship, John Stanley Gardiner Studentship

Stephanie Bunt

I graduated with a BSc (Hons) from the University of Melbourne in 2002. I continued my Honours research with Gary Hime in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology for a further 18 months before moving to Helen's lab to commence my PhD studies in 2004.

My research aims to understand how the stereotypical three-dimensional arrangement of the Malpighian tubules within the body cavity is achieved during embryogenesis. The cellular movements which underlie tubule placement are controlled both extrinsically by signals from the surrounding environment, and intrinsically through changes in the cytoskeleton and adhesive properties of cells. It is the regulation of these factors that directs tissue morphogenesis.

Previous publications

Bunt SM & Hime GR (2004) Ectopic activation of Dpp signalling in the male Drosophila germline inhibits germ cell differentiation. Genesis 39(2):84-93.