Research

The work in our lab focuses on understanding the molecular basis for epigenetic memory through the study of chromatin and large non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). While chromatin is central to the maintenance of cellular identity, our understanding of chromatin has been focused primarily on proteins and DNA. Yet lncRNAs such as Xist (which is involved in X-chromosome inactivation in female mammals) are also known to play important roles in epigenetics and transcriptional regulation through their influence on chromatin. Where do these lncRNAs act on chromatin? What are the direct biochemical roles of these RNAs? How do their activities integrate into what we already know about the regulation of chromatin? To address these questions, we use a wide range of approaches including the development of new chemical & biochemical technologies. Projects in our lab are frequently collaborative and integrate diverse areas including synthetic chemistry, cell biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics, and molecular biology.