Peng Jin, Ph.D.

As an intermediate regulatory paradigm between DNA sequences and gene expression, epigenetic mechanisms can exert substantial influence on normal brain function in ways that are only beginning to be understood. Increasing evidence indicates that multiple neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders are caused, at least in part, by aberrant epigenetic modifications. The proposed work of the Jin lab is to integrate various disciplines (e.g., genetics/genomics, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and cell biology) to understand the crosstalk among the dynamic DNA modifications during neurodevelopment and aging, and their epigenetic roles in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders.