Understanding regulatory mechanisms of stem cell fates in tissue and cancer

What determines how stem cells and cancer behave?
The primary goal of our research is to understand the molecular basis of self-renewal and differentiation in stem cells and cancer, i.e. cell fates. Specifically, we study hematopoiesis and myogenesis to identify cellular machinery that regulates tissue homeostasis and regeneration as well as molecular drivers of transformation that lead to human malignancies such as leukemia. We are particularly interested in the stem cell regulatory circuits governed by RNA binding proteins and cellular metabolism. Recent studies, including our own work, have revealed that normal stem cells and cancer share similar cellular hierarchy and regulatory signals while several components are distinct in these tissues. These findings tell us that deciphering the “operating system” in stem cells and cancer could help us to develop new effective therapies for human diseases.