Dr Isabel M Palacios
Lecturer
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
tissue architecture, cytoskeletons, human stem cells, Drosophila, organoids, cerebral organoids, healthy and diseased, neurodegeneration
Interests
Techniques: Drosophila, 2D and 3D cell culture models and human organoids.Reserach:
1. Tissue Biomechanics in the Whole Organism. Our research group focuses on understanding the genetic and cell biophysics of cell and tissue organisation in a multicellular organism, using Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. These are basic cellular processes that are conserved in the development of all organisms, and that contribute to diseases when mis-regulated.
2. Tissue biomechanics in 3D Human Cerebral Organoids. Limited knowledge exists regarding how morphogenesis and tissue architecture may contribute to the development of our brain. Combining bioengineering, cell biophysics and functional genetics we are studying the biophysical principles governing neuro-epithelia formation, the early brain development stage.
Experimental biophysicists and biologists are welcome to join us. https://palacioslabqmul.squarespace.com/research
Isa is also a co-founder of the DrosAfrica charity (https://drosafrica.org), building a connected African biomedical research community using Drosophila as a model system.
Publications of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models
2025
Artificial cells evidence apical compressive forces building up during neuroepithelial organoid early developmentKanso H, Di Cio S, Rose R, Palacios IM, Gautrot JE
Biomaterials, Elsevier vol. 328
24-11-2025
2024
Essential conserved neuronal motors kinesin-1 and kinesin-3 regulate Aβ42 toxicity in vivoFrancis D, Paonessa F, Fabre CCG, Hewitt VL, Giannakou ME, Peset I, Livesey FJ
, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
23-04-2024
2023
Constriction imposed by basement membrane regulates developmental cell migrationLópez EM, Kabanova A, Winkel A, Franze K
Plos Biology, Public Library of Science (Plos) vol. 21 (6)
28-06-2023
2020
Integrins regulate epithelial cell shape by controlling the architecture and mechanical properties of basal actomyosin networksSanta-Cruz Mateos C, Valencia-Expósito A, Palacios IM
Plos Genetics, Public Library of Science (Plos) vol. 16 (6), e1008717-e1008717.
01-06-2020
2017
Active diffusion and advection in Drosophila oocytes result from the interplay of actin and microtubulesDrechsler M, Giavazzi F
Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 8 (1)
15-11-2017
2016
α-Spectrin and integrins act together to regulate actomyosin and columnarization, and to maintain a monolayered follicular epitheliumNg BF, Selvaraj GK, Santa-Cruz Mateos C, Grosheva I, Martín-Bermudo MD
Journal of Cell Science, The Company of Biologists vol. 129 (9), e1.2-e1.2.
01-05-2016
α-Spectrin and integrins act together to regulate actomyosin and columnarization, and to maintain a monolayered follicular epitheliumNg BF, Selvaraj GK, Mateos CS-C, Grosheva I, Alvarez-Garcia I, Palacios IM
Development, The Company of Biologists vol. 143 (8), 1388-1399.
01-01-2016
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro ModelsHighthroughput Light Sheet Microscopy: Imaging Across ScalesViji Draviam Sastry, Caroline Brennan, Vidya Darbari, Jose Martin Duran, Ivan Kadurin, Isabel M Palacios, Richard Pickersgill, Sarah McClelland, Tyson Sharp and Martin Knight
£386,205 MRC Medical Research Council
01-10-2022 - 31-03-2023
A confocal microscope for multidisciplinary dynamic studies of complex biological systemsConrad Mullineaux, Caroline Brennan, Alexandre De Mendoza Soler, Viji Draviam Sastry, Maurice Elphick, Christoph Engl, Isabel M Palacios, Matteo Palma, Marina Resmini, Alexander Ruban, Peter Thorpe, Angelika Stollewerk, Jose Martin Duran, Paulo Baptista Ribeiro, Susana Godinho, Richard Grose, Stephanie Kermorgant, Peter McCormick and Tyson Sharp
£390,834 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
01-08-2022 - 31-07-2023