Illuminating the dark genome in cancer

Research into the genetic basis of cancer has largely focused on the 2% of human DNA that codes for proteins (what most people refer to as "genes"). In the last decade, it has become clear that a large proportion of DNA outside these genes (referred to as noncoding regions) is functional and can harbour genetic and epigenetic alterations that can promote the development of cancer. This research program will explore the contribution of these noncoding regions to cancer development.