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Humaira Gowher is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Purdue University, focusing her research on the regulation of DNA methylation and its implications in development and disease. Her lab investigates the critical parameters controlling cell differentiation through DNA methylation and the pathways that lead to dysregulation in cancer and developmental disorders. The overarching goal of her research is to understand the role of epigenetic modulators, particularly DNA methyltransferases DNMT3A and DNMT3B, in regulating gene expression under pathological states. Recent findings have established the mechanistic interactions between DNMT3A activity and the supporting role of histone demethylation by Lsd1 in embryonic stem cells, highlighting how variations in these modifications can influence cellular differentiation. Her team employs a variety of methods, including biochemical, biophysical, and molecular genetics techniques coupled with high-throughput sequencing approaches to address complex questions related to target site specificity and the influence of chromatin dynamics on DNMT activity. The lab is also examining the role of the insulator-binding protein Vezf1 in gene regulation during differentiation processes in endothelial cells and cardiomyocyte progenitors, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of transcriptional regulation in stem cell differentiation.
Purdue University • West Lafayette, IN
Teaching and conducting research in the regulation of DNA methylation and its role in development and disease.
GRE is not required.