![Eric Lai playing guitar](https://www.sloankettering.edu/sites/default/files/styles/width_200/public/node/293126/main_image/playing-at-an-ski-party-12x8.jpg)
Beyond the Bench: Developmental Biologist Eric Lai
How developmental biologist Eric Lai’s approach to science co-evolved with his music, art, and life outside the lab.
![sperm maturation in the fly testis](https://www.sloankettering.edu/sites/default/files/styles/width_200/public/node/282166/main_image/w0o9z_-jpbcyq1wyntiip-6r7k9ggdtdvevokswmbu0_1200x800.jpg)
Rumble in the Genome: Unlocking the Secrets of the Tiny RNAs That Keep Self-Serving, Harmful Genes in Check
The common wisdom is that genes are preserved from generation to generation because they help the organism survive and reproduce. But MSK's Dr. Eric Lai’s team is showing — in fruit flies — that certain genes can threaten a species’ very survival by pursuing their narrow self-interests in passing along their own genetic material.
In the Lab
![Confocal microscopy image of a female fruit fly brain.](https://www.sloankettering.edu/sites/default/files/styles/width_200/public/node/199171/main_image/pic_matt_4-1200x800.jpg)
How Fruit Flies Know When They've Mated
Research from investigators at the Sloan Kettering Institute shows how a brain circuit controls mating behavior in fruit flies.
![Eric Lai](https://www.sloankettering.edu/sites/default/files/styles/width_200/public/node/3961/image/lai-eric.jpg)
At Work: Developmental Biologist Eric Lai
The two distinct interests that have shaped Eric Lai’s life — science and music — still resonate powerfully with his developmental biology work.