Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Although all cells in the body contain an identical copy of the genome, they perform very different tasks. This is possible because different genes are turned on and off in each cell type. Each gene includes a set of instructions encoded in the DNA sequence that regulate when and where the gene should be activated. When mutations occur in these regulatory sequences, genes can turn on or off at inappropriate times, potentially resulting in disease, such as cancer or autoimmune disease. To identify and treat these diseases, we must first understand how cells read and interpret regulatory sequences. Others have tried to model this process for specific tissues, but sometimes these tissues contain several distinct types of cells, each with different genes turned on and off. We intend to leverage recent technological advances to monitor and model gene regulation in individual cells. Our approach will help us to better understand how genes are regulated and will help us to determine how mutations affecting gene regulation result in disease.