States’ Genotoxicology Lab
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About
The laboratory investigates mechanisms of carcinogenesis by non-DNA-binding metal(oid) carcinogens. We are currently focused on uncovering molecular mechanisms of heavy metal exposure induced carcinogenesis, with particular emphasis on arsenic induced skin cancer. We use molecular and cellular biology approaches working mostly with in vitro cell culture models of carcinogenesis induced by chronic low-level exposures to oncogenic metals. We study dysregulation of DNA damage response, DNA repair, mRNA alternative splicing, miRNA expression and chromatid segregation induced by chronic low-level exposures to arsenic and other genotoxic metals. We use state-of-the-art next generation sequencing and proteomic approaches to define the molecular phenotypes that result from the dysregulation induced by the exposures and how they contribute to the carcinogenic process.
Key Research Areas
- Non-DNA-binding Metal(oid) Carcinogens
- Arsenic toxicology
- Chromosome instability
- DNA damage response
- mRNA alternative splicing
- miRNA expression
- carcinogenesis
- skin cancer
- DNA damage
- DNA repair
Current Projects
- Role of specific miRNA overexpression in arsenic-induced skin cancer
- Mechanism and consequences of arsenic dysregulation of the DNA damage response
- Role of dysregulated mRNA alternative splicing in arsenic-induced skin cancer
Team
- Alexandra N. Nail, Ph.D, Post Doctoral Fellow, alexandra.nail@louisville.edu
- Jared L. Scott, Ph.D., Post Doctoral Fellow, jared.scott@louisville.edu
- Gabriel Rodriguez Vazquez, Post Doctoral Fellow, gabriel.rodriguezvazquez@louisville.edu
- Talha Bin Emran, Ph.D., Post Doctoral Fellow, talha.emran@louisville.edu
- Shelia Thomas, M.S., Lab Manager, shelia.thomas@louisville.edu
- Andrea Arroyo, Student Assistant, andrea.arroyo@louisville.edu