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My research is directed towards understanding the molecular principles that underlie how genetic information is regulated. We have two different research themes. In one, we are studying how our cells recognize and respond to DNA damage. The protein networks that control these processes provide a primary line of defense against the development of cancer. Our research reveals important information for the assessment of the cancer risks posed by specific mutations in the proteins involved in DNA damage signaling and repair. We are also building on our research to develop small molecule regulators of these proteins that could lead to new, targeted cancer therapies. In our second theme, we seek to understand mechanisms that underlie gene regulation in pathogenic bacterial species. In this latter theme, we have probed the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance and virulence plasmids between bacteria, and specifically systems that control these processes through the FinO RNA chaperone family. Specifically, my laboratory brings expertise in structural biology (X-ray crystallography, SAXS, molecular modeling), biophysics (fluorescence methods for protein interactions, light scattering, CD), biochemistry, and immunofluorescence studies of DNA damage signaling in human cells.