Research.

We are interested in elucidating the role of DNA modifications in the brain.

We develop new DNA sequencing tools and combine these with cutting-edge proteomic and biophysical techniques to gain functional and mechanistic insights into the role of cytosine modifications in mammalian neurons.

Cytosine modifications occur naturally in our DNA—most of which were discovered only in the last 20 years. The two most abundant modifications, methylation and hydroxymethylation, are uniquely distributed in neurons. They have been implicated in key neurological processes, such as learning and memory. Their dysregulation is associated with a host of neurological diseases and disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

DNA modifications may play key roles in learning, memory, and other neurological processes. These modifications, which occur on the DNA base cytosine, can encode another layer of information in DNA alongside the nucleotide sequence. DNA modifications are abundant and uniquely distributed in neurons, and can be added and removed dynamically. Thus, they enable a form of epigenetic plasticity. Uncovering their roles in the brain may be key to a molecular understanding of learning, memory, and many neurological diseases.

However, the biological function of DNA modifications in neurons remains unclear. Understanding how they are distributed in neurons and how they influence DNA-protein interactions is key.

Our lab seeks to address this major challenge by developing and applying cutting-edge genomics, proteomics, and biophysics techniques. These results will lay the foundations for future in vivo studies.

Our findings may also yield insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which are characterised by mC and hmC dysregulation.

If you’re interested in pursuing this question with us, take a look at how you can join our team.