2012 Research Highlights

Studied the effects of insulin-like growth factor II on liver gene expression using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA).

Designed an algorithm that differentiates bacterial transcript boundaries in RNA-seq expression data from variations caused by technical artifacts.

Spent the summer validating diverse fragments as binders to NFκB1 (p50).

Investigated missense variants in voltage-gated calcium channels associated with schizophrenia.

Studied the interplay of DNA methylation and chromatin machinery during early embryogenesis.

Worked on connecting the chemical structure of compounds to biological effects by gene-expression profiling.

Studied a new class of histone deacetylase inhibitors whose mechanism of action involves the covalent binding of quinone.

Mapped and characterized N6-methyladenosine (m6A), an internal base modification found on eukaryotic mRNA.

Investigated linking kinase inhibition to the TMPRSS2-ERG pathway found in prostate cancer.

Worked on elucidating the neurobiology of the axonal initial segment through different biochemical assays.

Synthesized small molecule suppressors of cytokine-induced β-cell apoptosis.

Used molecular dynamics simulations and modeling to study the DOT1L and EZH2 methyltransferases, which are involved in cancer.

Worked on the modulation of c-Myc-mediated transcription with small molecules.

Conducted a project that focused on the ethical dilemmas posed by the use of banked samples for genomic research without proper consent.