Caitlyn McCafferty and her group will join the FMI in February 2027.

Eukaryotic cilia are microtubule-based organelles that project from the cell surface to drive motility, signaling, and sensing. Nearly all vertebrate cells are ciliated, bearing a primary cilium, while specialized epithelia cells are multiciliated, containing tens to hundreds of motile cilia for coordinated flow. The same cilia that cover vertebrate cells are structurally remarkably similar to those of unicellular organisms spanning eukaryotic clades, suggesting the last eukaryotic common ancestor bore a cilium. The conservation across evolution offers an opportunity to use structural cell biology to understand the similarity and nuances between species and develop general principles that exist across evolution.

Our lab will focus on understanding the cellular structural biology and dynamics of cilia. We will use a combination of in situ structural biology techniques in several model systems to address questions regarding how cells build and maintain cilia, the evolution of ciliary dynamics, ciliary adaptation and intracellular ciliary heterogeneity. Ultimately, we aim to connect these fundamental principles of ciliary biology to the mechanisms underlying ciliopathies — a diverse group of genetic disorders caused by defects in cilia structure or function, often affecting multiple organs and developmental processes.

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Caitlyn McCafferty