Our Vision
Cell fate specification is among the most fundamental processes in biology and is exerted physiologically during stem cell differentiation, pathologically during cancer stem cell formation, and can be engineered with reprogramming approaches.
All these processes involve activation of target programs and inhibition of donor cell programs and are controlled by sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factors (TFs) and their diverse interactions with the chromatin landscape.
We aim to understand how TFs decode mammalian genomes to generate the diverse cell identities that arise during development, cellular reprogramming and pathological conditions. To this end we employ multi-omic approaches, genome engineering, single cell tool development and bioinformatic analysis to delineate the TF-driven mechanisms that determine cell fate specification. Our ultimate goal is to engineer customized stem cells and their differentiated progeny for clinical applications while exploring the mechanisms that govern organ aging and regeneration and tumor growth.