The overall mission of my laboratory is to understand and exploit cell stress responses in cancer versus normal cells. There are three ongoing projects in the laboratory focused on: i) DNA double strand break (DSB) repair and the specific roles of RNA transcription termination factors in the regulation and control of RNA Pol II-mediated R-loop formation, and the impact of loss of RNA termination factors (e.g., RPRD1B, RPRD1A and XRN2) on DSB repair and sensitivities of cancers to DNA damaging agents and DNA repair inhibitors; ii) EMT, migration and metastasis and the influences of, or changes in, metabolism during TGFß1-driven EMT; and iii) exploiting NQO1 bioactivatable drugs for improved therapy of cancers that have elevated levels of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), including cancers of the lung (NSCLC), pancreas (PDA), breast (including TNBC), and prostate.
Cancer
Diabetes Endocrinology
Global Health
Infectious Diseases
