Epigenetics

Dr. Cocucci studies basic mechanisms of membrane trafficking and is interested in how these processes deviate during cancer development when compared to normal cells. His research adopts multiple techniques, including traditional biochemistry, cell biology, and high resolution fluorescent live cell microscopy. Dr. Cocucci’s goal is to define novel targets for cancer therapy and to improve drug delivery, studying the internalization pathways and the mechanisms of endosomal escape adopted by artificial and biological nanovectors.

The Chromatin Design Lab develops engineered proteins and biosensors to study chromatin regulation and transcriptional control. We aim to create custom molecular tools, including mutant-selective binders and sensors that recognize specific combinations of post-translational modifications. These approaches will be used to investigate how histone modifications and transcription factors regulate gene expression, and to design new strategies for targeting diseased epigenetic regulation.