Burma Lab

About this Research Lab

Research in the Burma Laboratory is focused on the responses of mammalian cells to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), collectively called the DNA damage response (DDR).

We are involved in studying DDR events triggered by ionizing radiation and their carcinogenic and cancer therapeutic implications. We are particularly interested in:

1. Understanding DSB signaling and repair mechanisms, with a focus on the regulation of DNA end resection.

2. Genetic basis of radio- and chemo-resistance of glioblastomas (GBM), with the translational objective of targeting DNA repair pathways for GBM therapy.

3. Genetic changes underlying gliomagenesis triggered by ionizing radiation, the only known risk factor for the development of GBM.

4. Radiation-induced senescence as a driver of glioblastoma recurrence, with the clinical objective of blunting recurrence using senolytic approaches.

A more mechanistic understanding of DDR events has emerged from our studies, providing important insights into how GBM is triggered, and leading to the development of better therapeutic approaches for GBM.

“Science is built of facts the way a house is built of bricks; but an accumulation of facts is no more science than a pile of bricks is a house.” – Henri Poincaré