Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Computational and Systems Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Pediatric gut microbiome and immune disruption in serious bacterial infections

Key words
Microbiome, sepsis, bacteremia, infectious diseases, immune response, pediatrics

Program affiliation
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Molecular and cell biology of atherosclerosis and diabetes

Key words
aging, atherosclerosis, diabetes, lipids, obesity

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Biochemistry Biophysics and Structural Biology

Research summary
Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of novel cancer targets

Key words
cancer, genome stability, targeted therapy, proteostasis, autophagy, DNA replication stress, DNA damage response, phosphorylation

Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Focused on injury, repair, and regeneration of musculoskeletal tissues with the goal to understand the progenitor cell population, signals, and role of inflammation on tissue injury and regeneration at the cellular and molecular level

Key words

Program affiliation
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Molecular Cell Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Immunology
Neurosciences

Research summary
My research program integrates cardiovascular physiology, stem cell biology, developmental biology, functional genomics, and cardio-oncology to investigate molecular mechanisms of congenital and acquired cardiovascular diseases. My laboratory specializes in developing innovative protocols for generating authentic cardiovascular cell types from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), advancing cardiovascular precision medicine. We aim to bridge basic science and clinical translation through disease modeling, therapeutic target identification, and adverse outcome prevention.

Key words
iPSC, CRISPR, organoid, cardiovascular, precision medicine, cardio-oncology

Program affiliation
Molecular Microbiology and Microbial Pathogenesis
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Immunology

Research summary
Cellular and molecular basis of intracellular parasitism by protozoan parasites

Key words
cell-signaling, kinases, transcription, chromatin, pathogenesis, genetics, genomics, chemical biology, innate immunity

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Cell Biology

Research summary
Long non-coding RNAs and RNA modifications in cancer metastasis and aggressive disease

Key words
Cancer metastasis, multiple myeloma, breast cancer, long non-coding RNAs, RNA modifications, genomics, advanced sequencing, epitranscriptomics

Program affiliation
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology
Neurosciences

Research summary
Genetic analysis of neural and muscular development in the Drosophila embryo

Key words
development, neurobiology, cell signaling

Program affiliation
Plant and Microbial Biosciences
Molecular Genetics and Genomics

Research summary
Investigating how plant cells determine which fragments of DNA should be expressed (like genes), and which should be targeted for repression and not allowed to express

Key words
transposable element, epigenetics, DNA methylation, chromatin, transgene silencing

Program affiliation
Cancer Biology
Molecular Genetics and Genomics
Molecular Cell Biology
Developmental Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology

Research summary
Understand how epigenetic mechanisms and chromatin dynamics contribute towards the development of cancer.

Key words
Epigenetics, chromatin, cancer, mouse models, lymphoma, melanoma, EZH2, PRC2, H3K27me3