Lissanu Laboratory

The Lissanu Lab is interested in identifying therapeutically amenable vulnerabilities of genetically defined cancer sub-types. The long-term goal of the lab is to translate our basic cancer biology understanding to new cancer therapeutics.

Currently, we study lung cancers with mutations in epigenetic and chromatin regulators. Specific efforts in the lab are geared towards elucidating the genetic vulnerabilities of cancers with mutations in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling genes using functional genomics, mouse genetics and chemical biology approaches. We aim to leverage insights from our basic studies to identify therapeutic targets and discover novel therapeutics.

Further, we are actively pursuing targeted protein degradation by small molecule degraders as a novel cancer therapeutic modality. In this respect, we design and synthesize new small molecules as well as utilize existing agents to degrade oncoproteins in vitro and in vivo.

Learn more about research in the Lissanu Laboratory

We are always interested in motivated graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to join us in the tremendously exciting area of cancer functional genomics and therapeutics discovery.

Rotations for graduate students and internships for undergrads or recent graduates are also available. Projects include CRISPR/Cas9 screens to identify vulnerabilities of cancer cells, performing epigenetic profiling of cancers with mutations in epigenetic regulators, investigating the mechanism of action of novel compounds and characterizing genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of cancer.

Email Yonathan Lissanu, M.D., Ph.D.