Transcriptional and Epigenetic Control in Cancer

Group Leader:
Dr Shalini Rao

The Rao Lab studies how transcription factor networks and chromatin regulation control epithelial cell identity – and how their disruption drives cancer initiation and progression. We are especially interested in the earliest molecular events of tumour development and how the breakdown of transcriptional programs fuels tumour evolution, cellular plasticity, and therapy resistance. We take a systematic, functional approach to dissecting cancer regulatory networks, combining transcription factor-focused perturbation screens, CRISPR-based functional genomics, targeted protein degradation (degron) technologies, and integrative genomic and proteomic profiling. These tools are applied across complementary model systems cell lines, genetically engineered mouse models, and patient-derived samples to capture biology at multiple levels of complexity. A central focus of the lab is defining transcription factor and epigenetic mechanisms in cancers of high unmet clinical need, particularly pancreatic cancer. By mapping the regulatory circuits that establish and maintain tumour cell identity, we aim to uncover the origins of early disease, identify biomarkers of progression, and reveal new therapeutic vulnerabilities for patients with limited treatment options.