I’m Irene, and I’m a senior research associate here in the Widom lab. I did my undergrad at the University of Michigan (M Go Blue!). I then did my Ph.D. in the laboratory of Dr. Charlotte Paquin at the University of Cincinnati, analyzing gene amplification structures in yeast. I did my post-doc in the notch-focused laboratory of Dr. Spyros Artavanis-Tskonasis at Yale University and then worked for Dr. Gerald Shulman at Yale studying the mechanism of type II diabetes.
In the Widom lab, I am currently trying to understand gene regulation in vivo with a focus on how gene regulatory proteins access DNA targets that are bound in chromatin. More specifically, what factors (cis or trans) make DNA more or less favorable to bind to histones is one aspect of my project, as well as trying to study promoter regions in order to identify factors that are recruited for remodeling.
In order to address these questions, I am constructing an in vivo library from yeast that is comprised of genomic DNA 150-200bp in length. From this library we hope to identify sequences that are more favorable towards histone binding. I am also constructing an in vivo construct at a tagged promoter region in order to identify recruitment factors of remodeling. |
