“Our goal is to gain a more rigorous understanding of animal transcription networks. The BDTNP has developed methods to produce and quantitatively analyze data for transcription factors’ in vitro and in vivo DNA binding specificities, the expression patterns of factors and their target genes, and the accessibility of DNA in chromatin. Studying all of these components of the network together is, we believe, an essential step towards our eventual goal of deriving predictive computational models of animal transcription system wide.”

“Since we try to work at the edge of what is possible, our research can change rapidly in unexpected ways. At the moment, I see Next-Generation sequencing as being a source of vast new data sets, a major leap from microarray technology in both the information content and the complexity of analysis.”

“My research will most probably continue in the area of even earlier detection of cancer using DNA methylation markers. For colorectal cancer this means detecting the disease at a pre-cancerous stage known as an advanced adenoma. Detection of pre-cancerous disease will require improvements both in the tumor markers used and in the isolation and preparation of DNA from blood samples.”