Discovery of Therapeutically Targetable Pathways in Cancer and Other Diseases

My research focuses on understanding the mechanistic and functional basis of aberrant gene regulation in human cancers and certain rare genetic disorders. The major goal of my research program is to identify new factors and regulatory pathway(s) that contribute to the disease state and modulate gene expression as a therapeutic approach. To achieve this, I employ a comprehensive approach that combines high-throughput transcriptional profiling, functional genomics—including genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9-based loss-of-function screens—and proteomics to systematically identify and validate disease-related genes, proteins, and pathways. The information obtained from these screens guides us in identifying biological or small-molecule inhibitors that effectively suppress these genes or the pathways in which they function, thereby inhibiting tumor growth or correcting the disease phenotype.