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Christi A. Walter, Ph.D.

Professor

Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy

 We focus on the DNA base excision repair pathway and its ability to repair spontaneous and induced DNA damage as relevant to hepatocellular carcinoma, germ cell mutations, and mitochondrial DNA stability. A multipronged approach involving stem cells, germ cells, hepatocytes, animal models, molecular biology, cell biology, aging and genetics is employed to determine how base excision repair goes awry and results in disease.  We seek to define the key regulators that become dysfunctional in disease and identify molecular targets that may be useful in correcting the repair deficiency for the long-term goals of preventing and reducing disease in which base excision repair is a key factor.

Related Disease: Hepatocellular carcinoma, de novo genetic diseases in children (e.g. achondroplasia, autism spectrum disorder), genetic diseases caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations

Techniques: Next-generation sequencing, computational biology, CometChip assays, cell culture, general molecular and cell biology techniques, proximity labeling