PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Appointment period: 1/5/2016 to 9/30/2017

Project

Targeting the histone H3.3-Myc epigenetic pathway in glioma with gene editing

Pediatric brain tumors, including high-grade glioma, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, and glioblastoma, are the leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in children. Because treatment strategies derived from adult glioma studies have proven largely ineffective for children, efforts have been made to identify mechanisms of tumorigenesis specific to pediatric gliomas. Recent deep sequencing of tumors suggests that chromatin regulation and epigenetic factors play key roles in tumorigenesis. The goal of my project is to investigate epigenetic perturbations caused by recurrent histone mutations in pediatric gliomas and elucidate gliomagenic pathways. We are probing chromatin regulatory changes and ongcogenic signaling in stem cells and gliomas. We hope to provide new insights into chromosomal misregulation causing human cancer and facilitate development of novel targeted therapies specific for pediatric gliomas.