Kevin White Lab
Department of Human Genetics
The Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology — IGSB
The University of Chicago
900 East 57th Street
KCBD
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: (773) 834-0074
About the Lab
My laboratory uses a combination of genomics, computational, and genetic approaches to investigate large-scale networks of factors that control gene expression during development and disease. A major challenge in the “genomic era” of biology is to assemble the thousands of genes and proteins encoded within each genome into comprehensive subsets that specify particular developmental events or physiological processes. We are approaching this challenge using Drosophila melanogaster as a model and in the human genome directly. Our recent Science publication (Liu J. et al., 2009), confirms our successful strategy of using genomics and systems-level analysis of model organisms such as the fruit flies to identify factors that play crucial roles in human cancer. The development of personalized genomic treatments for human cancers is the long-term goal of my laboratory. We recently launched a program called “1000 Chicago Cancer Genome Project” with the aim to sequence the entire expressed genome from human cancers samples where University of Chicago has established excellence in research and treatment. A unique aspect of this project is that genomic researchers are working closely with physicians who treat patients on a routine basis. The goal is to accelerate the translation of genomic discoveries into useful diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies. Using the “Next Gen” sequencing Solexa platform we are able to generate 5-10 million DNA sequence reads for approximately $1100. We employ this technology to produce “paired end” sequences in order to completely re-sequence transcript populations in a variety of human cancers such as, T-AML, breast, prostate, ovarian, brain, head and neck, and lung. Our lab is also interested in the mechanism of Retinoic acid (RA) action in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. RA triggers anti-proliferative effects in tumor cells and therefore RA and its synthetic analogs have great potential as anti-carcinogenic agents. Retinoic Acid Receptors (RARs) mediate RA effects by directly regulating gene expression. To define the genetic network regulated by RARs in breast cancer, we recently identified RAR genomic targets using chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression analysis (Hua et al, 2009 Cell, accepted). We found that RAR binding throughout the genome is highly co-incident with Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) binding, resulting in a widespread crosstalk of RA and estrogen signaling to antagonistically regulate breast cancer-associated genes. ERa and RAR binding sites appear to be co-evolved on a large scale throughout the human genome, often resulting in competitive binding activity at nearby or overlapping cis-regulatory elements. The highly coordinated intersection between these two critical nuclear hormone receptor signaling pathways provide a global mechanism for balancing gene expression output via local regulatory interactions dispersed throughout the genome. .
Lab Members
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Noah Alexander
Student
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (917) 628-4560 |
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Chaitanya Bandlamudi
PhD Student
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Sam Bettis
Staff, CSC, Technical Director
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 256-9772 |
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Raj Bhanvadia
Research Technician
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 706-6321 |
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Christopher Brown
Postdoc
Lily-LSRF Postdoctoral Fellow |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834 0074 |
| C | ||
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Alina Choudhury
Research Technician
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Alex Crofts
Research Technician
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| D | ||
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Ruby Dhar
Postdoc
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834 0074 |
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Erin Dybdahl
Lab Technician
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 773-834-0074 |
| E | ||
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Sarah El Mouatassim Bih
Lab Technician
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| G | ||
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Rita Grantner
Lab Technician, Staff, CSC
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 773-256-9190 |
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Jason Grundstad
Programmer
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| J | ||
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Aashish Jha
PhD Student
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 773.669.6744 |
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Zifeng JiangResearch Professional |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| K | ||
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Subhradip KarmakarResearch Associate Professional |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| L | ||
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Yuwen Liu
PhD Student
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| M | ||
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Lijia Ma
Postdoc
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Megan McNerney
Postdoc
Postdoctoral fellow and resident in Clinical Pathology |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834 0074 |
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Jennifer Moran
Technical Director
Director, BAC-Recombineering Core |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 773-834-0074 |
| N | ||
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Xiaochun Ni
PhD Student
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Dmitri Novikov
Technical Director
Director, Advanced Imaging Core (AIC) |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| P | ||
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Elisha Pendleton
IGSB Floor Manager
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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April Peterson
Lab Technician, Staff, MWAC
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| S | ||
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Matt Slattery
Postdoc
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Rebecca Spokony
Postdoc
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Thomas Stricker
IGSB
Instructor |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
| V | ||
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David Vanderweele
Postdoc
Hematology/Oncology Fellow |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Alec Victorsen
Lab Technician
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Xiaoyue Wang
Postdoc
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.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
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Kevin White
IGSB, Core Faculty, Sr. Fellow
Director, Institute for Genomics & Systems Biology Professor in the Depts of Human Genetics, Ecology & Evolution |
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-3913 |
| Z | ||
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Jie Zhou
PhD Student
|
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (773) 834-0074 |
News
Research
- A comprehensive map of insulator elements for the Drosophila genome
- Analysis of Drosophila segmentation network identifies a JNK pathway factor overexpressed in kidney cancer
- Genomic analysis of estrogen cascade reveals histone variant H2A.Z associated with breast cancer
- Genomic antagonism between retinoic acid and estrogen signaling in breast cancer
- Identification of Functional Elements and Regulatory Circuits by Drosophila modENCODE (Science, 2010 Dec 22)