The McGrail lab studies brain development and disease using the zebrafish genetic model system. We develop CRISPR gene editing tools for functional genomics and disease modeling. Our research examines RB and TP53 tumor suppressors in brain development, in order to understand how their loss drives brain tumor cell proliferation and survival. We are also building novel in vivo models of neural inflammation using CRISPR to investigate pathways driving neurodegenerative disease.