Damon Runyon Researchers

Dr. Nachtergaele [HHMI Fellow] is investigating the roles of a chemical modification of mRNA called methylation. Many enzymes that add and remove RNA modifications impact developmental processes and cancer proliferation, but how they are regulated remains a mystery. She aims to identify the mechanisms by which mRNA methylation alters gene expression and eventually results in altered cell signaling and growth. Her goals are to understand these regulatory principles, to uncover how they become misregulated in disease, and to exploit these processes to identify novel cancer therapeutic targets.