Transitions in development - an interview with Evgeny Kvon.

Evgeny Kvon is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) in the Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, USA. His lab studies non-coding regulatory DNA and its mechanistic role in the control of gene expression to understand more about development, disease and evolution. Last year, Evgeny received the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award. We spoke to Evgeny over Zoom to learn more about his career and the silver lining to starting a lab during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Transitions in development - an interview with Annis Richardson.

Annis Richardson is the Lecturer in Molecular Crop Science at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Her research employs a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the molecular mechanisms governing organ development and evolution in grass crops, such as maize. In 2022, Annis was awarded a Starting Grant from the European Research Council. We spoke to Annis over Microsoft Teams to learn more about her career trajectory, her research and her agricultural roots.

An interview with Mayssa Mokalled.

Mayssa Mokalled is an Assistant Professor of Developmental Biology at Washington University in St. Louis, USA. Her lab investigates the basis of spinal cord regeneration in the zebrafish with the aim of promoting spinal cord repair after damage or disease. In 2021, Mayssa received the Junior Faculty Award for Excellence from the Zebrafish Disease Models Society and in 2022 she was awarded the Rising Star Award from the International Society for Regenerative Biology. We met with Mayssa over Teams while she was in Lebanon to discuss her achievements, values and her excitement for the future.

Transitions in development - an interview with Samira Musah.

Samira Musah is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine at Duke University, USA. Samira's research focuses on leveraging pluripotent stem cells, bioengineering and organ-on-a-chip technologies to understand more about human kidney development, disease and therapy. We met with Samira over Microsoft Teams to hear more about her path to independence, mentors and her love of yoga.

An interview with Valerie Wilson.

Valerie Wilson is Professor of Early Embryo Development and a group leader at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Val's lab works on the development of the vertebrate head-to-tail axis, focusing on the differentiation potential of axial progenitors. In 2022, she was awarded the British Society for Developmental Biology's (BSDB) Waddington Medal, which recognises outstanding individuals who have made major contributions to UK developmental biology. After her award lecture, we spoke to Val about her career and heard her thoughts on the past, present and future of the field.

Transitions in development - an interview with Antonio Scialdone.

Antonio Scialdone is a Junior Group Leader at the Helmholtz Zentrum München, Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, in Germany. Trained as a theoretical physicist, Antonio now uses multidisciplinary approaches, combining both computational methods and physical models, to study cellular decision making. We met Antonio over Teams to learn more about his experiences moving between different research fields and the transition to becoming a group leader.

Transitions in development - an interview with Margot Kossmann Williams.

Margot Kossmann Williams is an Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas, USA. Margot uses zebrafish genetics, live imaging and embryonic explants to investigate how cell movements, such as those underlying axis elongation, are coordinated. We met Margot over Teams for a chat about careers, mentors and starting a new group just before a pandemic.

Transitions in development - an interview with Tom Nowakowski.

Tom Nowakowski is an Assistant Professor at University of California San Francisco (UCSF), where he uses single-cell sequencing technologies to study neurodevelopment. He is also a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator and a Next Generation Leader at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. We met with Tom over Zoom to hear more about his career, his transition to becoming a group leader and his plans for the future.

An interview with Swathi Arur.

Swathi Arur is an Associate Professor for the Department of Genetics at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA, where she uses multidisciplinary approaches to understand female germline development and fertility. She has received numerous accolades, including the MD Anderson Distinguished Research Faculty Mentor Award in 2017. In 2020, she was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Swathi joined the team at Development as an Academic Editor in 2020, and we met with her over Zoom to hear more about her life, her career and her love for C. elegans.

An interview with Celina Juliano.

Celina Juliano is an Assistant Professor at UC Davis, where she uses Hydra as a model system to understand development and regeneration. She is co-founder of the Cnidarian Model Systems Meeting (Cnidofest) biennial conference and the OpenHydra Hydra resource platform. This year, she was awarded the Elizabeth D. Hay New Investigator award for outstanding developmental biology research during the early stages of her independent career by the Society for Developmental Biology (SDB). Following the virtual SDB 2020 meeting, we met with Celina over Zoom to hear more about her life and career.

An interview with Eric Olson.

Eric Olson is Professor and Chair of Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, USA, where he holds the Robert A. Welch Distinguished Chair in Science, the Annie and Willie Nelson Professorship in Stem Cell Research and the Pogue Distinguished Chair in Research in Cardiac Birth Defects. In 1999, he was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences and, in 2001, to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy. He has received several awards, including the American Heart Association Research Achievement Award in 2008 and the Eugene Braunwald Academic Mentorship award in 2016. He has a lifelong interest in muscle development and disease, with a particular interest in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In this interview, conducted at the Society for Developmental Biology's 2019 meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, he discusses his experiences in academia and industry, as well as reflecting on the people and opportunities that contributed to his career.