Understanding how epithelial cells stick together to form tissues and organs, how they withstand mechanical forces, and how the loss of this adhesion leads to diseases such as cancer and its metastasis, are important fundamental questions in biology with significant implications for human health. Adherens junctions (AJs) are known to be dynamic plasma-membrane structures that mediate cell-cell adhesion and promote tissue integrity. In this course, we will discuss primary scientific literature to understand how AJs facilitate multicellular development and how they impact disease. Lectures will be complemented by student-led presentations of important research papers published in leading scientific journals.