Research

The focus of our research is to understand the biology of human gene regulatory elements such as promoters and enhancers in the non-coding genome and how transcription factors control and modulate gene expression in health and disease.

Currently, two lines of research are ongoing in the Helsinki laboratory:

Non-coding regulatory genome and enhancer malfunction in cancer

Non-coding genome is a vast resource of regulatory elements utilized by transcription factors to orchestrate cell type- and context-specific gene expression. Cancer cells can hijack and repurpose these elements for activating tumorigenic signaling pathways. Our goal is to understand enhancer reprogramming and malfunction using a plethora of functional genomics methods in several cancer types originating from cells of endodermal lineage.

Epigenome reprogramming during progression of cancer

In this translational project, we are studying the role of defined lineage-specific transcription factors and epigenome reprogramming during cancer progression. Transcriptional and epigenetic features as well as topological constraints in chromatin are systematically analyzed using genome-wide functional genomics methods for better understanding of disease progression and evolution.

The Enhancer Biology group is part of the of the at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki.

to take a look at our research findings and publications. If interested in joining, . Motivated under-graduate students can always contact for thesis projects.