Cancer genetics investigates the processes by which multiple alterations occur in the genome of normal cells that lead to uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation. Such changes, that arises early and constitutes inheritable events, occur at level of the genome and the epigenome and result in permanent inheritable changes. Investigators within the Department of Genetics are actively working to decipher the complexity of such changes in various human cancer types and mouse models for cancer. Our final goals are to study basic mechanisms of cancer transformation, to identify novel biomarkers for personalized medicine and to provide targets for therapy.
Human retroviruses in evolution and their role in cancer initiation and progression (J. Lenz; G. Kalpana)
Epigenetic modifications including DNA methylation changes in human cancer, murine models for human cancer as well as histone modifications and chromatin remodeling (J. Greally; G. Kalpana; C. Montagna; S. Spivack)
Drug discovery and identification of novel biomarkers for early detection (G. Kalpana, C. Montagna, S. Spivack)
Role of genetic variation in cancer susceptibility (Y. Suh)
Cell competition to detect and suppress aneuploidy and genome damage (N. Baker)