Dawn S Chandler, PhD
College
College of Medicine
Department/Division
Pediatrics
Academic Title
Assoc Professor
Research Program
Molecular Biology and Cancer Genetics
Research Interest
Cancer, Muscular Atrophy, Spinal, Rhabdomyosarcoma, DNA Damage, Breast Cancer, Loss of Heterozygosity, Anoxia, Carcinoma, Renal Cell, von Hippel-Lindau Disease, Myopathies, Structural, Congenital
Our lab is interested in the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing and how disruption of this regulation can lead to pediatric diseases such as cancer. Current work in our lab elucidates alternative splicing as a novel mechanism by which cellular injury can control the activity of p53 and how changes in the regulation of splicing can lead to tumorigenesis. The transcription factor p53 is known to induce G1 arrest of the cell cycle and/or apoptosis. MDM2 is one of the most critical regulators of p53. Using in vitro biochemical assays and genetically engineered mouse models we are currently investigating differential RNA splicing of both the MDM2 and p53 pre-mRNAs and investigating the roles of each in normal cell function as well as disease.
