Damon Runyon Researchers

Dr. Worden examines how the decision to “turn on” or “turn off” genes is determined by a highly coordinated series of events that rely on the chemical modification of histone proteins. Misregulation of histone modification can cause a variety of human cancers. Dr. Worden is using structural biology and biophysical approaches to understand how the precise patterning of histone modifications - the “histone code” - is established. He plans to study the regulatory mechanisms that control histone methylation, which is important for the formation of leukemias.