Graduate Studies Faculty

Preceptor Rotations

Faculty Mentorship

Profile

The research interests of my laboratory are focused on the biochemical mechanisms of DNA repair systems and the regulation and roles of DNA repair in cellular responses to environmental stress.  Ultimately, we are interested in correlating alterations in these systems with human cancers, aging, and other disease states.  Germane to cancer research, we have three major areas of current focus.  We are interested in understanding the cellular pathways for the tolerance and repair of DNA-protein crosslinks.  These DNA adducts are formed as a consequence of environmental exposure to reactive aldehydes and as a result of endogenous metabolism.  Exposure to DPC-inducing adducts has been linked with nasopharyngeal cancers and leukemias.  In addition, we are currently investigating the biochemical mechanisms and therapeutic applications of ultraviolet (UV) light-induced DNA damage-specific glycosylases for the prevention of skin cancer and UV-induced immunosuppression.  Further, an active area of ongoing research involves studies on the mechanisms and regulation of human oxidative DNA damage-specific repair and how defects in these pathways contribute to colorectal cancers and metabolic disease.