School of Biosciences

Research Overview

The primary focus of the laboratory is upon colorectal cancer and understanding its molecular basis. Our studies have shown that the Wnt pathway is a key regulator of normal intestinal homeostasis. Using transgenic models we have shown deregulation of the Wnt pathway as the key mediator of neoplasia in the gut. As immediately following loss of the Wnt regulator Apc, we observe a ‘crypt progenitor’ phenotype which mirrors early stage lesions. In recent years we have also begun to experimentally address the role played by epigenetics in the intestine, using a series of murine strains targeted for the methyl binding domain (MBD) genes- required to interpret the methylation signals on DNA.