Prof. Jacqueline A Lees

Acquisition and maintenance of stem cell properties are a crucial hallmark of cancer cells and thus represents core vulnerabilities for cancer treatment. The Lees Laboratory investigates regulators that play important roles in cancer development and progression, particularly ones that influence stem cell function. The lab investigates the molecular mechanisms by which these regulators act, their roles in normal vertebrate development, and how changes in their activity influences tumor development, progression and metastasis, using cell lines and genetically engineered mouse and zebrafish models.

A major area of study are two epigenetic regulators, BMI1 and PRMT5, which are important for stemness and strongly implicated in a broad array of human tumor types. In particular, we are investigating how inactivation of BMI1 or PRMT5 impacts lung, colon and pancreatic cancer, and dissecting mechanisms of acquired resistance. Another Lees lab project investigates how primary cilia promote stemness of stem cells and cancer cells of the breast. Additionally, we are identifying genes that enable the development and progression of uveal melanoma, the most common adult eye tumor. For all of these projects, our goal is to identify regulators that are potential targets for cancer treatment.