60S Ribosomal Subunit Dynamics and Translation​
Ribosomes are the essential workhorses of the cell that produce protein. We are interested in gaining mechanistic insight into factors that regulate protein synthesis by controlling the fitness and availability of ribosomes. There are hundreds of trans-acting factors that aid in ribosomal subunit assembly. Our recent work uncovered a novel signaling mechanism that regulates 60S ribosomal availability and translational rates in response to nutrient stress that is dependent on the anti-association factor eIF6. We are currently investigating the structure-function relations of 60S ribosomal maturation factors. These efforts will help to identify novel drug targets that will provide parallel or alternate means for cancer therapeutics and for treatment of ribosomopathies such as Shwachman-Diamond-Syndrome.

DNA Repair Mechanisms and
​Cell Cycle
Genomic stability is integral to maintaining cellular fitness and survival. Homologous recombination (HR)-mediated repair of DNA strand breaks is crucial for the maintenance of genomic stability. It is imperative that HR is tightly regulated to ensure that spurious HR or insufficient HR response does not lead to erroneous repair and chromosomal rearrangements associated with cancers. We have recently uncovered novel regulation of HR mediators (RPA, RAD52, BRCA2) specifically in mitosis that plays an important role in maintaining chromosome segregation fidelity. Future studies will aim to understand the cell cycle context-dependent preferential selection of certain repair pathways and its deregulation in disease.

Cancer Signaling Mechanisms 
Our research aims to uncover the signaling mechanisms that fuel the rampant growth of cancers and drive the cancer-predisposition of ribosomopathies. Specifically, we are interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate  60S ribosomal factors and their contributions to translational control and the interplay of DNA repair mechanisms under normal and diseased states including cancer and ribosomopathies. We are also focussed on the mRNA binding oncofetal family of proteins: IMP1 and IMP3 that are exclusively expressed in invasive cancers. We use an array of cellular, molecular, biochemical and in vivo  tumor organoid methodologies to address these fundamental mechanistic questions.