Chief, Epigenetics & RNA Biology Laboratory and Principal Investigator
Deputy Chief, Epigenetics & RNA Biology Laboratory and Principal Investigator
Research Summary
The Epigenetics and RNA Biology Laboratory investigates fundamental mechanisms by which epigenetics — non-genetic modulation and alterations — influences chromatin architecture, transcription and gene expression in normal, cancer and embryonic stem cells and provides insights into biological processes that modulate the effects of environmental exposures. It also focuses on the molecular basis of self-renewal and pluripotency in embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotency stem (iPS) cells, as well as gene regulatory pathways using genomic, molecular, biochemical, computational and structural approaches.
In addition to the cutting edge hypothesis driven research of its investigators the laboratory provides leadership and support to the NIEHS in areas of genomics, epigenomics, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics analyses. These endeavors build and research strengths established in the prior Laboratory of Molecular Carcinogenesis and extend the scope of the research beyond cancer to examine a broad range of environmental impacts on human health and development.
Principal Investigators
Chromatin & Gene Expression
Deputy Director, NIEHS;
NIH Distinguished Investigator
Eukaryotic Transcriptional Regulation
Chief, Epigenetics & RNA Biology Laboratory and Principal Investigator
Macromolecular Structure
Deputy Chief, Epigenetics & RNA Biology Laboratory and Principal Investigator
Transcriptional Responses in Disease
Scientific Support Staff
Donald L. Cox Jr
Administrative Specialist
Derrick L. Raynor
Administrative Technician
Publications
Recent Publications
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Wang D, Ming H, Yang D, Cui X, Freeman Z, Tsai L, Wei Z, Liu L, Scatolin G, Bennett B, Wang X, Yau K, Tao L, Tong X, Wang S, Shi K, Evseenko D, Van Handel B, Guo L, Dai X, Xiong Y, Zhang B, Wang Y, Iyyappan R, Ojeda-Rojas O, Hu G, McGinnis L, Paulson R, Mckim D, Kong X, Xia X, Zhang J, Chen Y, Jiang Z, Xu J, Ying Q. A universal 6iL/E4 culture system for deriving and maintaining embryonic stem cells across mammalian species.
Cell research.
2026 Aug;36(8):611-628.
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AbstractWang D, Ming H, Yang D, Cui X, Freeman Z, Tsai L, Wei Z, Liu L, Scatolin G, Bennett B, Wang X, Yau K, Tao L, Tong X, Wang S, Shi K, Evseenko D, Van Handel B, Guo L, Dai X, Xiong Y, Zhang B, Wang Y, Iyyappan R, Ojeda-Rojas O, Hu G, McGinnis L, Paulson R, Mckim D, Kong X, Xia X, Zhang J, Chen Y, Jiang Z, Xu J, Ying Q. A universal 6iL/E4 culture system for deriving and maintaining embryonic stem cells across mammalian species. Cell research. 2026 Aug
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Klemm B, Sikkema A, Schugardt E, Hall T. Intrinsic catalytic parameters drive specificity of non-templated poly(UG) tail synthesis.
Nucleic acids research.
2026 Jul 17;54(14):.
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AbstractKlemm B, Sikkema A, Schugardt E, Hall T. Intrinsic catalytic parameters drive specificity of non-templated poly(UG) tail synthesis. Nucleic acids research. 2026 Jul 17
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Levi H, Wang Q, Bolla M, Dennis J, Andrulis I, Antonenkova N, Au C, Augustinsson A, Beane Freeman L, Behrens S, Bermisheva M, Bodelon C, Bogdanova N, Bojesen S, Brenner H, Brock I, Brüning T, Byers H, Camp N, Castelao J, Choi J, Chung W, NBCS Collaborators, Colonna S, Couch F, Czene K, Daly M, Devilee P, Dörk T, Eliassen A, Eriksson M, Evans D, Fasching P, Faw K, Gago-Dominguez M, García-Closas M, Haiman C, Hamann U, Hartman M, Ho V, Ho P, Hooning M, Hoppe R, Howell S, ABCTB Investigators, SGBCC Investigators, Ito H, Iwasaki M, Jakubowska A, Jernström H, Joseph V, Kaaks R, Kang D, Khusnutdinova E, Kiprijanovska S, Koutros S, Kristensen V, Kurian A, Kwong A, Lambrechts D, Larson N, Marchand L, Li S, Li J, Lophatananon A, Mannermaa A, Matsuo K, Maxwell W, Muir K, Nevelsteen I, Obi N, O'Brien K, Offit K, Ottewell P, Patel A, Peterlongo P, Plaseska-Karanfilska D, Prajzendanc K, Radice P, Ramachandran D, Rashid M, Romero A, Saloustros E, Sandler D, Schöttker B, Simard J, Southey M, Stone J, Sugier P, Taylor J, Teras L, Truong T, Weinberg C, Yadav S, Yamaji T, Zheng W, Dunning A, Mavaddat N, Easton D, Michailidou K, Elkon R, Shamir R. PRANA: A Deep Learning Method for Adapting Polygenic Risk Scores to Diverse Ethnic Groups.
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences.
2026 Jul 15 [Epub ahead of print].
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AbstractLevi H, Wang Q, Bolla M, Dennis J, Andrulis I, Antonenkova N, Au C, Augustinsson A, Beane Freeman L, Behrens S, Bermisheva M, Bodelon C, Bogdanova N, Bojesen S, Brenner H, Brock I, Brüning T, Byers H, Camp N, Castelao J, Choi J, Chung W, NBCS Collaborators, Colonna S, Couch F, Czene K, Daly M, Devilee P, Dörk T, Eliassen A, Eriksson M, Evans D, Fasching P, Faw K, Gago-Dominguez M, García-Closas M, Haiman C, Hamann U, Hartman M, Ho V, Ho P, Hooning M, Hoppe R, Howell S, ABCTB Investigators, SGBCC Investigators, Ito H, Iwasaki M, Jakubowska A, Jernström H, Joseph V, Kaaks R, Kang D, Khusnutdinova E, Kiprijanovska S, Koutros S, Kristensen V, Kurian A, Kwong A, Lambrechts D, Larson N, Marchand L, Li S, Li J, Lophatananon A, Mannermaa A, Matsuo K, Maxwell W, Muir K, Nevelsteen I, Obi N, O'Brien K, Offit K, Ottewell P, Patel A, Peterlongo P, Plaseska-Karanfilska D, Prajzendanc K, Radice P, Ramachandran D, Rashid M, Romero A, Saloustros E, Sandler D, Schöttker B, Simard J, Southey M, Stone J, Sugier P, Taylor J, Teras L, Truong T, Weinberg C, Yadav S, Yamaji T, Zheng W, Dunning A, Mavaddat N, Easton D, Michailidou K, Elkon R, Shamir R. PRANA: A Deep Learning Method for Adapting Polygenic Risk Scores to Diverse Ethnic Groups. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. 2026 Jul 15
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Hoang T, Cosin-Tomas M, Lee Y, Monasso G, Xu Z, Li S, Zeng X, Starling A, Reimann B, Röder S, Zillich L, Jima D, Thio C, Pesce G, Kersten E, Breeze C, Burkholder A, Lee M, Ward J, BIOS Consortium, Alfano R, Deuschle M, Duijts L, Ghassabian A, Herrera L, Jaddoe V, Motsinger-Reif A, Lie R, Nawrot T, Page C, Send T, Sharp G, Stein D, Streit F, Sunyer J, Wilcox A, Zar H, Koppelman G, Annesi-Maesano I, Corpeleijn E, Snieder H, Hoyo C, Hüls A, Sirignano L, Witt S, Herberth G, Plusquin M, Dabelea D, Yeung E, Wiemels J, Richmond R, Taylor J, Felix J, Håberg S, Bustamante M, London S. Prenatal Smoking Exposures and Epigenome-Wide Methylation in Newborn Blood.
Environmental health perspectives.
2026 Jul 07;134(3):289-302.
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AbstractHoang T, Cosin-Tomas M, Lee Y, Monasso G, Xu Z, Li S, Zeng X, Starling A, Reimann B, Röder S, Zillich L, Jima D, Thio C, Pesce G, Kersten E, Breeze C, Burkholder A, Lee M, Ward J, BIOS Consortium, Alfano R, Deuschle M, Duijts L, Ghassabian A, Herrera L, Jaddoe V, Motsinger-Reif A, Lie R, Nawrot T, Page C, Send T, Sharp G, Stein D, Streit F, Sunyer J, Wilcox A, Zar H, Koppelman G, Annesi-Maesano I, Corpeleijn E, Snieder H, Hoyo C, Hüls A, Sirignano L, Witt S, Herberth G, Plusquin M, Dabelea D, Yeung E, Wiemels J, Richmond R, Taylor J, Felix J, Håberg S, Bustamante M, London S. Prenatal Smoking Exposures and Epigenome-Wide Methylation in Newborn Blood. Environmental health perspectives. 2026 Jul 07
]
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Liu Y, Chrysovergis K, Johnson K, Williams J, Lih F, Deterding L, Grimm S, Wade P. Short-term methionine starvation induces de novo diurnal oscillations of hepatic m6A RNA methylation.
bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
2026 Jul 06 [Epub ahead of print].
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AbstractLiu Y, Chrysovergis K, Johnson K, Williams J, Lih F, Deterding L, Grimm S, Wade P. Short-term methionine starvation induces de novo diurnal oscillations of hepatic m6A RNA methylation. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology. 2026 Jul 06
]
