“Remodeling Chromatin in Cancer”

Emily Bernstein, Ph.D.
Professor, Oncological Sciences
Professor, Dermatology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
 

ABSTRACT
Chromatin remodelers are frequently mutated in cancer, and our understanding of the cellular and physiological consequences of these mutations is beginning to emerge. Melanoma is the most lethal form of skin cancer with rising incidence, and disseminated disease is clinically challenging to treat. ARID2 is the most recurrently mutated SWI/SNF complex member in melanoma, however its tumor suppressive mechanisms in the context of the chromatin landscape remain to be elucidated. Studies will be presented of our ongoing efforts to understand the consequences of chromatin remodeling mutations in cancer, including melanoma and neuroblastoma.
 

BIOGRAPHY
Emily Bernstein, PhD, Professor of Oncological Sciences and Dermatology, is Co-leader of the Cancer Mechanisms Research Program at The Tisch Cancer Institute. As such, Dr. Bernstein facilitates basic research on genetic, epigenetic, biochemical, and developmental pathways that drive cancer initiation and progression, and fosters intra- and inter-program collaborations that accelerate the development of novel, targeted therapies for cancer. Dr. Bernstein studies epigenetic regulation of gene expression in cancer and development, with the long-term goal of understanding the chromatin changes that take place at the molecular level during the transformation process of normal cells to cancer cells. Her team studies melanoma, breast cancer, and neuroblastoma. Dr. Bernstein regularly teaches courses on cancer biology and serves on numerous PhD thesis committees at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She is permanent member of the Cancer Genetics Study Section of the NIH Center for Scientific Review and serves as a reviewer for additional grant foundations.