Katja Röper

Professor Katja Röper is an Affiliated Professor in the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge and a Principal Investigator at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. She leads an active research laboratory investigating the cellular mechanisms that determine organ shape during embryonic development.

Her research focuses on:

• Cell biology of dynamic epithelia during organ formation
• Cytoskeletal mechanisms (actomyosin cortex and microtubules) in morphogenesis
• Tubular organ formation through epithelial sheet transformation
• Drosophila salivary gland development as a model system
• Human renal organoids for understanding nephron morphogenesis

Dr. Röper's work addresses how cell shape determination and coordination between neighboring cells creates complex three-dimensional organ structures from simple epithelial sheets. Her research has significant implications for understanding diseases related to defective tube formation such as Spina Bifida and Polycystic Kidney Disease, as many critical organ systems (intestinal tract, kidney, liver, lung, vasculature) maintain epithelial tubular structures.

Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on cytoskeletal organization, tissue patterning, and morphogenetic mechanisms across multiple model systems. She employs both Drosophila embryogenesis and human stem cell-derived organoids to investigate fundamental questions at different biological scales.

Dr. Röper maintains active collaborations and publishes in leading journals including Development, eLife, and Nature Communications, demonstrating ongoing contributions to the field of developmental and cell biology.