Heather Flanagan-Steet

Dr. Flanagan-Steet’s research has largely focused on defining the mechanisms governing early tissue development. This has ranged from investigating how neuromuscular synapses form to the development of the embryonic heart and craniofacial skeleton.

Over the last thirteen years, Dr. Flanagan-Steet’s efforts have centered on defining the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of rare genetic diseases. This has included several lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) as well as the congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs). Her work on genetic diseases has largely involved generating zebrafish models to investigate gene function and disease pathogenesis. Her work pioneered the use of zebrafish to model rare inherited diseases, bringing new insight into the molecular initiators and mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of mucolipidosis II and PMM2-CDG. The success of these studies has been augmented by her long-time collaboration with her colleague and spouse, Dr. Richard Steet.

In her role as Director of Functional Studies, she works closely with the Center’s tremendous team to advance the understanding of rare diseases.