This is the website for the DeSimone laboratory at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in the Department of Cell Biology. The principal investigator (PI) is Douglas DeSimone. We are interested in the problem of morphogenesis. We study cell-cell (cadherin) and cell-extracellular matrix (integrin) adhesion in amphibian (Xenopus) embryos. A primary focus is to understand the role of mechanical force in directing cell migration and differentiation.