Dr. Irene Chiolo

Biography

Irene Chiolo is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California (USC) specializing in the mechanisms of DNA repair associated with heterochromatin. Her research, heavily focused on understanding how large nuclear domains made up predominantly of repetitive sequences manage DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), reveals that the dynamics of DSBs in heterochromatin are still largely unknown. Her studies indicate that these domains exhibit significant changes in response to DSBs, expanding and relocalizing to the nuclear periphery during repair, a process that requires precise regulation of space and time. Deregulation of these pathways can lead to aberrant recombination and genome instability, conditions often associated with aging and cancer. By utilizing the Drosophila model, her lab seeks to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these processes and contribute to the broader understanding of diseases linked to genomic instability.

Research Interests

Experience