Using Genomics to study Chromatin Structure and Dynamics

Lab at the St. Mary’s glacier

 

We are a research lab in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus.

Our mission is to uncover basic truths governing life, contribute knowledge that might help alleviate human suffering, and create diagnostic techniques to make healthcare more equitable and affordable. We believe in building an inclusive, diverse, and supportive environment to perform cutting edge science while nurturing our next generation of scientists.

Our genomes are packaged by proteins called histones. Parts of our genomes are packaged differently in different cell types, to allow for cells to express different parts of our genome and hence assume different cellular identities. We are interested in understanding how our genome packaging changes dynamically as cells change their identities and when cells respond to different stimuli. We also exploit our knowledge of how different cell types package their genome to identify disease states using protected cell free DNA fragments in our bloodstreams.