Identifying Novel Prognostic and Diagnostic Biomarkers in Head and Neck Cancer

My research has focused on the analysis of genome-wide genomic and epigenomic signatures in human cancers. One of these is head and neck cancer (HNSCC), a heterogeneous group of neoplasms arising from diverse anatomic locations including the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx and nasopharynx. My lab has identified several novel proteins associated with the development and behavior of head and neck tumors. A central hypothesis of my research program is that the global analysis of epigenetic events can be used in the identification of novel tumor suppressor genes. Moreover, the molecular signatures observed in these tumor specimens can be used both as a prognostic biomarker and as a molecular classifier of this disease.