Coupling functional genomics techniques with computational modeling to understand gene regulation in health and disease
The Kreimer lab focuses on understanding which regulatory elements play a role in specific conditions, cells and tissues, how they interact to achieve transcriptional regulation and what are the mechanisms by which genetic variation in these non-coding regions drives disease in humans.
Specifically, five main objectives of the lab are: (1) Leveraging Massively Parallel Reporter Assays (MPRAs) to identify functional binding of TFs and their combinations during neural differentiation. (2) Identification of functional variants in non-coding regions and their downstream effects, in neuro-psychiatric disorders. (3) Leveraging temporal data to model enhancer-promoter interactions. (4) Deciphering cell-type specific determinants of gene regulation by systematic comparison of genomic data across multiple cell types. (5) Develop models that can be used for efficient experimental design.
Our lab employs a multi-disciplinary approach, combining high-throughput genomic techniques with computational models, for annotation of the non-coding genome. We develop methods that integrate multiple types of genomic, genetic and functional data, as well as facilitate close interactions with experimental and clinical labs.