Qi Liu
Dissecting the Roles of Chromatin Regulator Alterations in Melanoma Progression, Cellular Plasticity and Therapeutic Resistance
Email: qi.liu@qmul.ac.uk
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Dissecting the Roles of Chromatin Regulator Alterations in Melanoma Progression, Cellular Plasticity and Therapeutic Resistance
Melanoma is an aggressive form of skin cancer characterized by high cellular heterogeneity. Melanoma cells can adopt distinct transcriptional states, which may help them adapt to environmental stress. Chromatin regulators are frequently mutated in melanoma, including those involved in chromatin remodelling and histone modification. Although these regulators influence chromatin organization and accessibility, how mutations in these genes shape melanoma development and progression remain incompletely understood.
This project aims to investigate how alterations in chromatin regulator genes affect gene expression and cell behaviour. Candidate regulators will first be identified and prioritized using melanoma genomic datasets and published studies. Engineered models will then be generated leveraging stepwise genome-edited human melanocyte models in the lab.
Following genetic and molecular validation, the models will be characterised. Transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility profiling will be used to investigate the regulatory changes associated with these phenotypes. The models will also be tested for their responses to BRAF/MEK inhibitors.
By dissecting how alterations in chromatin regulators shape gene regulation and cellular behaviour, this research aims to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of melanoma development and progression.