Jonathan: Research in Penn’s Epigenetic Institute

This summer I’m working in a lab in the Epigenetic and Dermatology Department at Perelman. The lab is focused on understanding how epigenetic regulatory mechanisms contribute to disease. Combined with the accessible and non-invasive nature of skin centered treatments we aim to develop new ways of treating skin diseases.

There are many chromatin modifiers and biological pathways that can affect the expression of different genes without changing the genetic code itself. I am working on better understanding how one of the most commonly mutated chromatin modifiers in squamous cell carcinomas, NSD1, affects skin cell homeostasis through many knockdown and sequencing experiments. Epigenetics is particularly exciting because of its reversibility. If it is better understood how NSD1 mutations lead to diseased phenotypes, it may be possible to apply an inhibitor that can reverse these deleterious effects.

The opportunity to work in this lab with a very supporting principal investigator and lab members has been invaluable. I am still learning a lot in terms of organization, project planning, and the work required in research, but being able to take ownership of some ideas and the feeling that you are working towards something meaningful is extremely fulfilling.