Eckersley-Maslin laboratory: Stem cell and cancer epigenetics
-
Head of Laboratory
Dr Melanie Eckersley-Maslinmelanie.eckersleymaslin@unimelb.edu.au
0385595958
Research Overview
View Dr Melanie Eckersley-Maslin's latest publications listing here.
Dr Melanie Eckersley-Maslin was recently awarded the prestigious Snow Fellowship. Read the article here.
Research in the Eckersley-Maslin laboratory explores how developmental epigenetic programs are hijacked by cancers. Epigenetics provides a stable cell identity while priming cells for change. During embryonic development the epigenetic plasticity of cells is tightly controlled and regulated in part by priming factors. These establish a permissive epigenetic landscape to enable future transcriptional changes. Cancer cells frequently have a distorted cell identity and adapt epigenetic, transcriptomic and phenotypic properties associated with embryonic cells. By discovering the principles driving epigenetic plasticity in development, we can further our understanding of how this goes awry in cancer, leading to new areas for therapeutic intervention. For more information please visit our website.
Image 1: Colony of mouse embryonic stem cells fluorescently stained for epigenetic factors Dppa2 (red), Dppa4 (blue) and DNA in blue.
Staff
Dr Melanie Eckersley-Maslin, Head of Laboratory
Dr Katie Fennell, Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr Janith Seneviratne, Postdoctoral Researcher
Mr William Ho, Research Assistant
Collaborators
Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute
Funding
2022 Snow Fellowship, Snow Medical Foundation ($8M/8years).
2021 Metcalf Prize for Stem Cell Research, Australian Stem Cell Foundation ($55,000)
Research Opportunities
This research project is available to PhD students, Post Doctor Researchers to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.