Principal Investigator
Cells respond to DNA damage and protect their genomic integrity by activating specialised DNA damage response pathways. These pathways not only coordinate DNA repair, but also affect many aspects of cell metabolism and homeostasis.
Our research programme focuses on understanding how cellular DNA damage response pathways maintain genomic integrity in the face of genotoxic stress. This has important implications for understanding the aetiology of many diseases associated with genome instability and ageing, including cancer and neurodegeneration.
Genotoxic stress plays a central role in ageing. Detailed knowledge of how cells respond to DNA damage is therefore essential for understanding the molecular basis of the ageing process.
The group aims to dissect the cellular mechanisms underlying genome maintenance. They seek to identify molecular vulnerabilities that can be exploited to develop novel therapeutic strategies for diseases triggered by genome instability and ageing.
Specifically, the group focuses on answering two key questions:
Principal Investigator