Our research
We are interested in understanding cancer from susceptibility, to progression, to response to therapy. We use a human genetics approach, focusing mainly on the germline (both common and rare variation) but also occasionally studying the tumor at the level of somatic mutation/copy number, and gene expression. We primarily study breast cancer, but also have projects in multiple myeloma and non-small cell lung cancer.
A special emphasis in our lab is the study of populations underrepresented in medical research. We are motivated to study these populations for two related reasons: (1) We believe that the discoveries from human genetics will help improve medical care. For all populations to benefit, discovery and validation need to be performed in each population. (2) Since the study of human genetics focuses on human genetic variation, enhancing genetic variation by studying new populations is clearly beneficial.