Phuc Nguyen

Program: Computational and Systems Biology

Current advisor: Jennifer E. Phillips-Cremins, PhD

Undergraduate university: University of Cincinnati, 2025

Enrollment year: 2025

Research summary
3D genome and epigenetic regulation of neuronal activity

Under stimulation, neurons activate a cascade of signalling pathways, turning on important genes for neuronal growth and synaptic plasticity. Neuronal activity transmission underlies the basis of neural circuit formation and higher cognitive functions. Therefore, understanding how neural activity leads to activation of distinct gene programs in different neuronal cell types is crucial in connecting the DNA and nucleus with the neuron’s physiology as a whole. My research overall looks at how the 3D genome and other epigenetic features are structured in the neuron to facilitate accurate and rapid responses to neural activity. I am focusing on identifying unique distal enhancer-promoter interactions in neurons and how DNA methylation might regulate formation of certain chromatin loops. I am also looking into the relationship between epigenetic memory and neuronal stimulation, whether the epigenetic landscape undergoes large activity-induced reprogramming, and how I can decouple these effects computationally.

Graduate publications