SUMMARY
The research team led by Arvind Panday, Ph.D., studies the precise molecular mechanisms underlying replication stress and stalled fork remodeling.
DNA replication occurs in the context of chromatin. Replication fork stalling is when there is a pause in replication due to a change in the structure of the DNA or other obstacle. Usually, the cells can repair stalled forks without errors. But if stalled fork repair goes wrong, it can cause instability in the genome. In fact, replication fork stalling and poor stalled fork repair are major sources of genome instability. Genome instability is a hallmark of cancer and is known to drive tumor formation.
Dr. Panday's lab investigates chromatin dynamics and repair quality at stalled replication forks. The research team studies how these processes go wrong in cancer, and how, with innovative methods, the processes might be used for cancer therapy.
Focus areas
- Synthetic lethality in cancer. Synthetic lethality is a phenomenon in which the co-occurrence of multiple gene changes results in cell death. Synthetic lethality is a promising approach to target cancer. Dr. Panday's lab uses comprehensive genetics and proteomics approaches to study how synthetic lethality happens and investigate its potential in cancer treatments.
- Chromatin changes in response to replication stress and tumor development. Replication stress is a major cause of genome instability and cancer progression. Dr. Panday's lab examines the underlying ways that chromatin is reorganized in response to the replication stress and unhealthy changes that happen in cancer development. The goal of this research is to better understand cancer progression in the context of chromatin and find possible therapeutic targets.
- Stalled fork repair pathway choices and cancer progression. Dr. Panday's lab studies how different chromatin maintenance players regulate the quality of stalled fork repair and potentially prevent cancer from getting worse.
Significance to patient care
Dr. Panday's lab uses exploratory, mechanistic and therapeutic approaches to explain how and why cancer develops and gets worse. The research team is working to figure out how the chromatin environment affects stalled forks, understand pathway choices to repair stalled forks and identify new targets for cancer therapy. The goal is to unlock new ways to prevent, detect and treat cancer.
Professional highlights
- Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00), National Cancer Institute, 2022-present.
- Postdoctoral fellowship, Charles A. King Trust, 2021-2022.
- Fellowship award, American Association for Cancer Research, 2019-2021.
- Graduate dean’s research stipend award, Pinkie Gordon Lane Graduate School, Louisiana State University, 2016.
- Outstanding graduate student award, Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, 2016.