PhD
Assistant Professor, Pharmacology and Chemistry
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Cell Biology
Area of Interest
I am a genomicist and systems biologist studying the functional impacts of chromosomal aberrations called extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA). The focus of my research is on developing computational and experimental methods that accelerate the identification of ecDNA, characterize relationships between its structure and function and discover new strategies for targeting.
My laboratory integrates various techniques and technologies to study the mechanistic basis of the asymmetric division of ecDNA into daughter cells and the universal relationships between cell population heterogeneity in ecDNA and proliferation, fitness and drug resistance. I approach these topics through the lens of computational biology, machine learning and multi-omics data science.
A growing body of work in the biomedical sciences characterizes the clinical impacts of ecDNA in cancer; my work contributes to these efforts by focusing on fundamental biological roles of ecDNA and its impacts on cellular functioning and adaptation.
News and Stories
Using AI, researchers launch database to predict cancer DNA anomalies
Elizabeth Brunk, PhD, and colleagues have launched a database called CytoCellDB to address a significant gap in cancer research, particularly focusing on extrachromosomal DNA.
UNC researchers present at American Association for Cancer Research’s 115th Annual Meeting
Researchers and trainees from UNC and UNC Lineberger at will present more than 30 talks and participate in scientific and educational panels and discussions on the latest cancer research.
