Faculty Member
Professor
Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology
David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles
Personal Statement
My laboratory investigates RNA-based gene regulation in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as cancer. We employ an integrated approach that combines molecular and cellular biology with high-throughput genomics and computational analysis. Our work focuses on RNA editing, double-stranded RNA biology, alternative splicing, and mRNA stability, using both experimental (wet-lab) and computational (dry-lab) strategies. We generate and analyze large-scale RNA-seq, CLIP-seq, and other omics datasets, and use human stem cells and iPSC-derived models to study post-transcriptional regulation in physiologically relevant systems. To support these efforts, we have developed computational tools for identifying RNA editing sites, predicting functional genetic variants, and analyzing CLIP-seq data, among others, enabling the interpretation of both public and in-house datasets. We also perform in-depth molecular studies to follow up on genomic and computational discoveries, aiming to elucidate the mechanisms of post-transcriptional regulation in both disease and normal physiology.