Systematic Characterization of Cellular Genome Maintenance Mechanisms
Accurate and faithful transfer of genetic information during cell duplication is critical for survival and the prevention of several diseases including cancers. This is particularly challenging because our cells are under constant assault from various stressors ranging from radiation exposure to viral infection. Our lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms of genome maintenance; how cellular DNA integrity is maintained in response to different types of cellular insults, how these processes are dysregulated during genetic diseases, infections, aging and cancer, and how such knowledge can potentially be exploited towards novel therapies.
Our approach:
We employ cutting-edge genetic screening approaches to identify novel factors, followed by mechanistic molecular biology characterization to decipher how cellular DNA insults lead to genomic instability. Our interests also include the identification of therapeutic vulnerabilities of cancer cells as well as the delineation of host defense mechanisms against invading viral DNA.
Current questions we are interested in addressing in the lab are:
Genome Maintenance Factors and Mechanisms
What are the pathways and factors that engage and resolve damaged DNA?
Replication Stress, Genomic Instability and Cancer
How does replication stress lead to genomic instability?
Cancer Genomics, Therapy and Resistance
What are the therapeutic vulnerabilities that can be exploited in breast, ovarian, and other cancer types?
Virus-Host Interactions
What are the cellular consequences of viral DNA entry into the nucleus?