Our lab is interested in developing and applying advanced genomic technologies to decipher genome structures and functional regulatory elements in mammalian genomes. Our genomes are extensively folded into complex three-dimensional (3D) chromatin organization. Variation in the linear structures and high-order topological architectures is known to modulate disease phenotypes and complex traits. We apply a suite of chromatin interaction analyses and long-read sequencing approaches in human cancers to better understand complex variants and their functional significance. Specifically, how genetic variation like extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) and chromatin topology can impact tumorigenesis and treatment responses. Our goal is to disclose the “genome structural codes”, and how they shape cell-specific transcription and elucidate disease vulnerabilities with therapeutic potential.

 

We are also the home of Northwest Genomics Center (NWGC), a world-class genome sequencing center established in 2009. NWGC is one of a few large-scale genomic hubs to the major NIH genomic initiatives and scientific leadership of their precision medicine programs, including TopMed (i.e., Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine) and AoU (All of Us).