PhD
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Biophysics
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Cell Biology Research Program
Area of Interest
In the Kovalski lab, we are focused on uncovering the post-transcriptional control of gene expression to identify novel selective regulators of tumorigenesis and illuminate new vulnerabilities to target cancer. Emerging research highlights the surprising finding that mRNA transcript levels predict less than half of protein abundance. Post-transcriptional control mechanisms, particularly selective mRNA translation, are critical for cancer cells to precisely and rapidly respond to changing cell state, such as oncogenic transformation, unchecked proliferation, and metastasis. We seek to identify the functional interactions between specific RNA binding proteins (RBPs) and select target genes. Like transcriptional control, where a defined set of factors binds to specific DNA elements to drive selective transcription, how does a repertoire of RBPs act in trans to selectively regulate gene expression? To fill this gap, we employ a systems-level strategy that integrates unbiased functional screening, a diverse RNA biology toolkit, proteomics, and in vivo models to illuminate how selective RNA translational control fuels cancer cell addiction to oncogene protein production, generating novel cancer-specific therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Awards and Honors
- Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center ExCEL Scholar Awardee, 2025
- Benjamin F. Trump Fellowship Award, 36th Annual Aspen Cancer Conference, 2023
- American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow, 2020-2022
- Gabilan Stanford Graduate Fellowship, Stanford University, 2011-2014
