FlyEyeLab's profile picture. Developmental biologist who loves and uses the Drosophila eye to study exciting topics in fate specification and patterning. (he/him)

Justin Kumar

@FlyEyeLab

Developmental biologist who loves and uses the Drosophila eye to study exciting topics in fate specification and patterning. (he/him)

Excited to announce that the newest paper from my lab on the Drosophila visual system is out today! Modulating the levels and activity of the retinal determination network is sufficient to induce the specification of distinct tissue fates in Drosophila journals.biologists.com/dev/article-ab…


See my Perspective article in Science that accompanies an exciting new paper from Claude Desplan's lab. I highlight their discovery that waves of calcium are required to finalize the structure of the Drosophila retina. The retina’s rhythm | Science science.org/doi/10.1126/sc…


Patience is a virtue! I have been a season ticket holder at my home institution, Indiana University, for 23 years. I have seen a lot of bad football games. My perseverance through the pain and suffering is finally paying off. We are ranked #3 in the country. Upwards and onwards!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Patience is a virtue! I have been a season ticket holder at my home institution, Indiana University, for 23 years. I have seen a lot of bad football games. My perseverance through the pain and suffering is finally paying off. We are ranked #3 in the country. Upwards and onwards!

Very proud of former Kumar lab PhD student, Alison Ordway, for receiving a K99 award from the National Eye Institute on her work describing photoreceptor patterning in Drosophila and mosquito compound eyes. Keep your eyes out for Alison when she goes out on the job market.

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Very proud of former Kumar lab PhD student, Alison Ordway, for receiving a K99 award from the National Eye Institute on her work describing photoreceptor patterning in Drosophila and mosquito compound eyes. Keep your eyes out for Alison when she goes out on the job market.

The lab kicked off the start of the fall semester at Indiana University by having lunch at Lennie's Brewpub.

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. The lab kicked off the start of the fall semester at Indiana University by having lunch at Lennie's Brewpub.

As my laboratory begins its 24th year at Indiana University I am grateful to all of the past and present PhD students, research associates, and postdoctoral fellows that have joined me in my quest to discover how the compound eye of Drosophila develops.

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. As my laboratory begins its 24th year at Indiana University I am grateful to all of the past and present PhD students, research associates, and postdoctoral fellows that have joined me in my quest to discover how the compound eye of Drosophila develops.

My lab's newest research paper on the Drosophila eye is published in Development today. Thanks to the editorial staff for writing a research highlight and interviewing us about our work. journals.biologists.com/dev/article-ab…


To all of my university faculty friends, as tenure and promotion season is just around the corner I thought I would share a little academic humor with you. Enjoy! youtube.com/watch?v=NNihym…

FlyEyeLab's tweet card. Associate Professor means "less than"

youtube.com

YouTube

Associate Professor means "less than"


Happy to have had high school students Robyn Pate and Joy Sweeny (front row) spend the week with us learning about my lab and Drosophila eye development. Thanks to graduate students Ren Wilson and Mie Kusupholnand for serving as their research mentors.

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Happy to have had high school students Robyn Pate and Joy Sweeny (front row) spend the week with us learning about my lab and Drosophila eye development. Thanks to graduate students Ren Wilson and Mie Kusupholnand for serving as their research mentors.

Happy 4th of July from the Kumar lab!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Happy 4th of July from the Kumar lab!

A portion of my lab took a break from their experiments and joined me at our local Strawberry Shortcake Festival in Bloomington, Indiana.

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. A portion of my lab took a break from their experiments and joined me at our local Strawberry Shortcake Festival in Bloomington, Indiana.

Very late in posting...many thanks to my friend and host Markus Friedrich for an awesome visit to the Departments of Biological Sciences and Ophthalmology at Wayne State University. Great catching up with an old friend, talking science, and presenting our newest research!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Very late in posting...many thanks to my friend and host Markus Friedrich for an awesome visit to the Departments of Biological Sciences and Ophthalmology at Wayne State University. Great catching up with an old friend, talking science, and presenting our newest research!

Super excited that my superstar friend Soni Lacefield @LacefieldLab is a AAAS fellow! She is creative and her research is amazing so check it out. Soni Lacefield Named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2025/soni… via @GeiselMed


Hope your lab had a great Valentine's Day!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Hope your lab had a great Valentine's Day!

Kumar lab - very lucky to be exploring the world of eye development with these amazing researchers!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Kumar lab - very lucky to be exploring the world of eye development with these amazing researchers!

It was finally warm enough here in Bloomington to spend some time in the backyard taking pictures. Look who showed up!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. It was finally warm enough here in Bloomington to spend some time in the backyard taking pictures. Look who showed up!
FlyEyeLab's tweet image. It was finally warm enough here in Bloomington to spend some time in the backyard taking pictures. Look who showed up!
FlyEyeLab's tweet image. It was finally warm enough here in Bloomington to spend some time in the backyard taking pictures. Look who showed up!
FlyEyeLab's tweet image. It was finally warm enough here in Bloomington to spend some time in the backyard taking pictures. Look who showed up!

NoA for my new NIH grant arrived today! Many thanks to the National Eye Institute for what will be 27 years of continuous and generous funding of my studies into the mechanisms underlying Drosophila eye specification and patterning. @NatEyeInstitute @IUBloomington @IUBiology

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. NoA for my new NIH grant  arrived today! Many thanks to the National Eye Institute for what will be 27 years of continuous and generous funding of my studies into the mechanisms underlying Drosophila eye specification and patterning. @NatEyeInstitute @IUBloomington @IUBiology

Wishing you and your labs a peaceful Christmas and New Year. Hope to see all of you in 2025!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Wishing you and your labs a peaceful Christmas and New Year. Hope to see all of you in 2025!

From my lab to yours - Happy Thanksgiving! Hope all of you have a fun, calorie, and football filled day!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. From my lab to yours - Happy Thanksgiving! Hope all of you have a fun, calorie, and football filled day!

Happy Halloween from the Kumar lab!

FlyEyeLab's tweet image. Happy Halloween from the Kumar lab!

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