Yuling FengPhD studentEmail: yuling.feng@qmul.ac.ukProfileProfileProject title: Functional characterisation of relaxin-type neuropeptide signalling systems in an echinoderm Summary: Relaxin is a hormone that facilitates childbirth in humans by causing softening of pelvic ligaments. The aim of my PhD project will be to investigate the functions and mechanisms of relaxin-type neuropeptide signalling in a deuterostomian invertebrate - the starfish Asterias rubens (Phylum Echinodermata). This will provide new insights into the evolution and comparative physiology of neuropeptide signalling in the animal kingdom. Supervisor Professor Maurice Elphick Research