"Understanding cancer processes is a key toward effective targeted therapy. My laboratory explores unconventional roles for chromatin modifiers – the factors that are most altered in cancers. The Distinguished Scientist Award allows us to decipher the mechanisms of tumorigenesis of DIPG in order to identify new therapies based on patients’ genotypes. It is an honor to be funded by the Sontag Foundation to tackle the deadliest childhood cancer."

About DSA-Funded Research

Dr. Van Rechem is interested in the molecular impact of chromatin modifiers on disease development, with an emphasis on cancer. Her laboratory undertakes a cell-cycle specific angle to explore specific functions such as gene expression and replication timing. They also explore unconventional direct roles for these factors in the cytoplasm, with a focus on protein synthesis. Their ultimate goal is to provide needed insights into new targeted therapies.