Faculty
Faculty members in the Department of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis are primarily affiliated with the Graduate Program of . The majority of department faculty are also actively involved with the Center for Cancer Epigenetics (CCE), a group of scientists interested in epigenetic research that includes researchers from both UT MD Anderson and across the Texas Medical Center.
Faculty Members
Jean Gautier, Ph.D., Dr.Sc. |
Professor and Chair
Genome Organization and DNA Repair | Gautier Laboratory
- Molecular mechanisms of genomic stability
- Biological responses to DNA damage
- Integrity of genomes under stress
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Professor
Cancer Genomics and Cancer Chemoprevention
- Role of WWOX the FRA16D chromosomal fragile site gene in cancer and neurodegeneration
- Identification and characterization of drivers of breast cancer initiation and progression
- Cancer chemoprevention strategies in preclinical models
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Professor
ATP-Dependent Chromatin Remodelers in Cancer | Bartholomew Laboratory
- Structure and function of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers, especially in pluripotency, development and cancer
- Approaches to examine gene expression, chromatin structure and genomic long-range interactions
- Role of ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers in non-coding RNA synthesis
- Replication independent chromatin assembly and reorganization
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Professor
Arginine Methylation and Cancer | Bedford Laboratory
- Arginine methylation, an epigenetic modification
- Mouse models of altered arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) expression
- Transcriptome studies (RNA-seq, ChIP-seq) in altered PRMT expression environments
- Using state-of-the-art microarrays to screen for proteins that recognize post-translational modifications
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Associate Professor
Apoptosis and Autophagy | Bratton Laboratory
- Regulation of caspases, inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins and IAP antagonists
- Mechanisms of TRAIL resistance in prostate cancer
- Novel roles of BCL2 family members in heat shock-induced apoptosis
- Biochemistry of autophagy and its role in prostate cancer
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Professor (Pediatrics-Research, Joint Appointment)
Translational Pediatric Oncology; Epigenetic Vulnerabilities in Pediatric Cancers | Chandra Laboratory
- Small molecule strategies and epigenetic agents for treating refractory disease in the most challenging pediatric cancers
- How modifiable behaviors (e.g. diet, exercise, tobacco use) affect pediatric cancer outcomes and survivor quality of life
- Implementing clinical interventions (e.g. novel web-based resources) to change modifiable behaviors
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Professor
Epigenetics and Development | Chen Laboratory
- Cross-talk between DNA methylation and histone modifications
- DNA methylation and histone modifications in embryogenesis, gametogenesis and stem cell functions
- Epigenetic dysregulation in developmental disorders and cancer
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Professor
Epigenetic Modifications to DNA and Histones; Structural Biology | Cheng Laboratory
- Readers, writers and erasers of epigenetic modifications to DNA and histones
- Cross-talk and interplay between epigenetic modifications on DNA and histones
- Rational design of inhibitors of epigenetic enzymes
- Transcription factors in recognizing DNA modifications
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Professor and Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Â鶹ӳ» MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
DNA Repair by Homologous Recombination | Cole Laboratory
- Meiotic recombination mechanisms in mice and humans
- Chromosome organization and dynamics in meiosis
- Relationships between alternate DNA repair pathways
- Chromosome segregation fidelity in the germ line
Professor Emerita Sharon Y.R. Dent, Ph.D.
Cancer Epigenetics
- Functions of chromatin modifying enzymes
- Epigenetic changes regulating stem cell identity, cell differentiation and tumorigenesis
- Changes in post-translational modifications in histones and other proteins involved in neural development and neurodegeneration
Professor
Cancer Epigenetics | Co-Director, Epigenomics Profiling Core
- Origin and function of DNA methylation in cancer
- Cross-talk between genetic and epigenetic events in colorectal carcinomas
- Function of chromodomain helicase DNA binding interactions
- Epigenomics Profiling Core: gene-specific and genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation
Charles A. Ishak, Ph.D. |
Assistant Professor
Repetitive DNA Elements & Viral Mimicry in Tumorigenesis and Cancer Therapy | Ishak Laboratory
- Repetitive elements and viral mimicry in cancer initiation and immune evasion
- Repetitive elements and viral mimicry in tumor suppression and cellular homeostasis
- Epigenetic mechanisms of repetitive element regulation in somatic cells
- Repetitive element RNA and proteins as therapeutic targets for cancer interception and immunotherapy
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Associate Professor
Cancer Epigenetics | Co-Director, Epigenomics Profiling Core
- Comparative genomics and long-non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer
- Functions of readers of histone post-translational modifications in cancer
- New co-regulators of ER-transcriptional activity in breast cancer
- Transcriptome profiling to illuminate functions of tumor suppressor p53
Associate Professor
Co-Director, Subcellular Imaging Resource
- High resolution multispectral confocal and SIM super-resolution imaging
- Multiphoton and lightsheet volume imaging and 3-D image reconstruction
- Cellular and molecular level spatiotemporal relationships (intravital & time-lapse imaging, FRET, FRAP)
- UVA-laser microirradiation-induced DNA damage/DNA repair dynamics
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Professor
Bioinformatics Service
- Bioinformatics
- Cancer genomics
- Integrative genomic studies
Professor
Bioinformatics Service
- Bioinformatic approaches for analysis of next-generation sequencing
- Genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic changes in cancer
- New computational algorithms and statistical models for high-throughput sequencing data
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Associate Professor
Programmed DNA Damage and Immune System Diversity | McBride Laboratory
- Mechanisms of antibody diversification
- Host-pathogen interactions between B cells and gammaherpes viruses
- Role of B cells in immunotherapy response
- Recombinant antibody cloning and production
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Professor
Thymus Development and Homeostasis
- Role of thymic epithelial cells (TECs) in T cell development and selection
- TEC dynamics and lineage relationships in the perinatal thymus
- Molecular mechanisms regulating age-associated thymus involution and reduced na?ve T cell output
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Professor
DNA Methylation and Cancer | Ting Laboratory
- Technical and computational tools for assessing global DNA methylation
- Novel and clinically relevant functions for DNA methylation
- Defining the mechanics of DNA methylation in cancer
- Genitourinary Development Molecular Anatomy Project (GUDMAP) Atlas development
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Assistant Professor, Joint Appointment with CNS Radiation Oncology, Clinical
Genome Integrity and Tumor Immune Microenvironment | Schrank Laboratory
- Defining how genome instability affects tumor-immune microenvironment
- Uncovering the role of extrachromosomal DNA in immune remodeling
- Enhancing immune system abilities to detect and eliminate immunotherapy-resistant tumors
- Developing immunostimulatory bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates as cancer therapies
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Professor
DNA Polymerases and DNA Repair | Wood Laboratory
- Role and mechanism of DNA polymerase theta (POLQ) in DNA repair
- DNA interstrand cross-link repair
- Importance of DNA polymerase zeta in UV damage response and cell proliferation
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Associate Professor
Computational and Systems Biology | Xu Laboratory
- CRISPR-based genetic and epigenetic editing
- Computational design and analysis of high-throughput genetic screens
- Bioinformatic approaches for understanding transcriptional and epigenetic regulatory networks
Additional Faculty Members
- , Assistant Professor (Cheng Laboratory)
- Wei He, Ph.D., Instructor (Xu Laboratory)
- , Professor (Cheng Laboratory)
- , Assistant Professor (Ting Laboratory)
- Yuzhen Li, Ph.D., Instructor (Wood Laboratory)
- Yalong Wang, Ph.D., Instructor (Bedford Laboratory)
- , Associate Professor (Cheng Laboratory)
Adjunct Faculty Members
- , Professor, Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas at Austin