Research
Gene expression is regulated on multiple levels that include a) direct binding of transcriptional factors to the regulatory regions of genes; b) dynamic compaction of linear DNA around histone proteins; c) higher-order chromatin folding. One of the greatest challenges in modern molecular biology is an understanding how all these levels are integrated in complex and very well orchestrated system allowing a cell to adopt to its rapidly changing environment. I am particular interested, i) how in multipotent hair follicle stem cells intracellular signalling pathways and corresponding transcriptional network, initiated by external and intrinsic stimuli, control cell fate decision along several cell lineages; ii) how this process is correlated with changes in DNA/histone modifications and higher-order chromatin structure in tissue-specific gene loci; and finally iii) how all of these is affected in pathological conditions. The answering of these questions should advance the systemic view on hair follicle stem cells biology and will be also beneficial for development of new therapeutic approaches for stem cell-dependent conditions, such as tumorigenesis, impaired wound healing, hair loss, and aging. My projects are in two key areas: Signalling networks, chromatin dynamics and gene regulation in epithelial stem cell biology Molecular mechanisms of skin regeneration, carcinogenesis and aging My funding is from the MRC - Young Investigator award, 2016-2019. Gene expression is regulated on multiple levels that include a) direct binding of transcriptional factors to the regulatory regions of genes; b) dynamic compaction of linear DNA around histone proteins; c) higher-order chromatin folding. One of the greatest challenges in modern molecular biology is an understanding how all these levels are integrated in complex and very well orchestrated system allowing a cell to adopt to its rapidly changing environment. I am particular interested, i) how in multipotent hair follicle stem cells intracellular signalling pathways and corresponding transcriptional network, initiated by external and intrinsic stimuli, control cell fate decision along several cell lineages; ii) how this process is correlated with changes in DNA/histone modifications and higher-order chromatin structure in tissue-specific gene loci; and finally iii) how all of these is affected in pathological conditions. The answering of these questions should advance the systemic view on hair follicle stem cells biology and will be also beneficial for development of new therapeutic approaches for stem cell-dependent conditions, such as tumorigenesis, impaired wound healing, hair loss, and aging. My projects are in two key areas: Signalling networks, chromatin dynamics and gene regulation in epithelial stem cell biology Molecular mechanisms of skin regeneration, carcinogenesis and aging My funding is from the MRC - Young Investigator award, 2016-2019. Gene expression is regulated on multiple levels that include a) direct binding of transcriptional factors to the regulatory regions of genes; b) dynamic compaction of linear DNA around histone proteins; c) higher-order chromatin folding. One of the greatest challenges in modern molecular biology is an understanding how all these levels are integrated in complex and very well orchestrated system allowing a cell to adopt to its rapidly changing environment. I am particular interested, i) how in multipotent hair follicle stem cells intracellular signalling pathways and corresponding transcriptional network, initiated by external and intrinsic stimuli, control cell fate decision along several cell lineages; ii) how this process is correlated with changes in DNA/histone modifications and higher-order chromatin structure in tissue-specific gene loci; and finally iii) how all of these is affected in pathological conditions. The answering of these questions should advance the systemic view on hair follicle stem cells biology and will Research Collaborations Prof Terumi Kohwi-Shigematsu (University of California San Francisco, USA) Prof Thomas Magin (University of Leipzig, Germany) Dr Andrey Sharov (Boston University, USA) Prof Gualing Xu (Shanghai Institute of Biotechnology, China)
