An ambitious EC-funded research initiative on epigenetics advancing towards systems biology

Research program in our laboratory focuses on delineating mechanisms that control topological genome organization and higher-order chromatin remodeling in epithelial stem cells during lineage-specific differentiation, aging and reprogramming towards the pluripotency state. We use skin- and/or hair follicle-derived adult epithelial stem cells as an excellent model for studying the links between the transcription factor-mediated and epigenetic regulatory mechanisms in the control of establishment of lineage-specific gene expression programs in distinct populations of progenitor cells. We are also interested to understand how topological genome organization is remodeled during the reprogramming and how distinct classes of epigenetic regulators contribute to this process. Finally, we study the role of higher-order chromatin remodelers (Satb1, Ctcf, etc.) in the control of physiological and injury-induced skin regeneration and aging.

• Promoter activity and chromatin structure: the roles of various facets of chromatin structure in promoter function and evolution.
• Comparative chromatin structure: the extent and modes of divergence in chromatin structure across cell types and over evolutionary time.
• Chromatin structure and complex traits: the relationships between chromatin structure and the genetic architecture of complex traits and human disease.

• Andrei Mardaryev, MD, PhD (Research Investment Lecturer)
• Mohammed Ahmed, MD, PhD (Post-doctoral Researcher)
• Chris Lewis, PhD student
• Krzysztof Poterlowicz, PhD student
• Valentina Rapisarda, PhD student
• Joanne Yarker, PhD studen