Dr Maria Rostovskaya

We are interested in the molecular regulation of cell fate decisions during early human development. All cell types of the human body arise from a small group of initially equivalent cells known as the epiblast. Over approximately two weeks, the epiblast gives rise to specialised cell lineages, in a specific order and at specific time points. This period is essential for embryo formation yet highly vulnerable, with many pregnancies failing at this stage. It is driven by interactions between the epiblast and the developing placenta, which provides signals instructing differentiation. While key inductive signals have been identified, the molecular mechanisms that enable the epiblast to respond appropriately at the right time remain poorly understood. We investigate this question using human pluripotent stem cell-based models of early development, combined with targeted genetic and epigenetic perturbations, genomics, single-cell analyses, and computational modelling, to uncover the principles guiding human embryogenesis.