Research:
Genomic instability contributes to both the development and progression of cancer. – Mutations affecting the detection or repair of DNA damage can dramatically increase genome instability and therefore cancer susceptibility. A key question in cancer biology is how the cell detects and repairs cell and DNA damage?
Our laboratory employs a comparative genomics and evolutionary biology lens to the study of how the structure of the nucleus, including chromatin and the various nuclear domains, contributes to cellular functions such as autophagy, pre-mRNA splicing, and DNA damage signaling and repair; with a special focus on innate immunity as it relates to cancer therapy responses.
CURRENT RESEARCH THEMES:
- The role of chromatin structure and nuclear subdomains in DNA repair
- The evolutionarily conserved role of pre-mRNA splicing in autophagy – paper (LINK)
- Evolutionary Molecular Biology of Innate Immunity in Vertebrates – paper (LINK)
- CRISPR Genome Engineering and Ethics of Gene Editing
- Environmental Carcinogens and Cancer Risk – funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, and additional projects are also being pursued as part of the Atlantic Cancer Consortium and the Terry Fox Research Institute (TFRI) Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network studying multiple myeloma and lung cancer
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Medicine: applying machine learning approaches to cancer risk assessment, screening and diagnosis – AI News
Previous Funded Research Themes:
- Xenotransplantation in zebrafish as a human tumour model
- Mechanisms of Chemotherapy Resistance in breast, ovarian and prostate cancer – paper (LINK)
- Super-Resolution and Live-Cell Imaging of Cancer Cells – SRRF On My System (SOMS) Blog
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| Founder and Member of the Canadian Environmental Exposures in Cancer (CE2C) Network |  |
Scientist @ Evict Radon  |
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Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada |
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