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Dr Andre Pires da Silva

Supervisor Details

Dr Andre Pires da Silva

Contact Details

Dr Andre Pires da Silva

School of Life Sciences, University of Warwick

Research Interests

We have three major lines of research:

  • Inheritance: some animals produce different types of offspring, depending on what they experience. For example, mothers that experience stress can produce stress-resistant offspring. Using a roundworm as model system, we are studying how specific sensorial cues experienced by the mother can result in different types of offspring.
  • Ageing: Recent research has shown that the ageing process can be delayed or even reversed. Using the roundworm model system C. elegans, we found conditions in which they can live 5 times the normal lifespan. We are studying which genes are required for this lifespan extension.
  • Asymmetric cell division: During embryonic development, cells become different from each to generate different tissues. Usually, neighbouring cells communicate with each other to produce those differences. We discovered a potentially new way for how cells divide to make two types of cells. This mechanism does not rely on communications with other cells but is intrinsic to the dividing cell. We aim to uncover which intrinsic signal mediate the process of asymmetric cell division to generate two different daughter cells.

Scientific Inspiration

Charles Darwin and Sydney Brenner, for their curiosity about the natural world.


MIBTP Project Details

Previous Projects (2024-25)

Primary supervisor for:

Co-supervisor on a project with Dr Cathy Slack.

Previous Projects (2023-24)

Primary supervisor for: