Meera V. Sundaram

Meera V. Sundaram, PhD is a Professor of Genetics at the University of Pennsylvania. She leads research in the Department of Genetics focusing on apical extracellular matrix (aECM) biology in C. elegans. Her lab investigates how aECM components shape epithelial tubes, protect from pathogens, and form surface structures through dynamic assembly processes.

• University of Pennsylvania, Professor of Genetics
• Research bridges genetics, cell biology, and developmental biology
• Key model organism: Caenorhabditis elegans

Research Interests:

• Apical extracellular matrix dynamics in development
• Conserved protein family functions in ECM assembly
• Matrix trafficking and localization mechanisms
• Proteolytic processing of structural proteins

Selected Scientific Awards:

• Life Sciences Research Foundation Post-doc fellowship (1994-1997)

Key Methodologies: Fluorescent protein tagging for live imaging, genetic analysis of matrix components, and in vivo visualization of ECM dynamics.