Angelos Pistofidis, PhD

During mitosis, two copies of the genome condense and segregate, a process catalyzed by a protein known as transcription termination factor 2 (TTF2). Mutations in TTF2 have been associated with incomplete genome segregation, DNA damage, and cell death. Research has shown that TTF2 is necessary for many cancers, making it a prime target for future cancer therapeutics. Dr. Pistofidis aims to use a combination of structural biology, biochemistry, and single-molecule biophysics to outline the molecular mechanism of TTF2. Ultimately, this work will reveal vulnerabilities in the mechanism of TTF2 that can be exploited for the development of cancer therapeutics. Dr. Pistofidis received his PhD from McGill University, Montréal, and his MSc from the University College London, London.