Research Area

We investigate the dynamics of epigenetic DNA methylation and histone modifications essential for early development, differentiation and cell fate reprogramming. These marks create an epigenetic ‘landscape’ that supports cell type specific gene regulatory networks but can also provide an epigenetic readout of disease, environmental exposure and ageing.  We study these epigenetic mechanisms in tissue specification, including cardiovascular development, the developmental origins of disease, and the effects of metabolism and environmental pollution. Our research interests centre on chromatin-mediated gene repression mechanisms and chromatin remodelling in gene activation in the cell nucleus in mammalian and vertebrate embryos, stem cells, reprogrammed cells and yeast-based models. We have discovered that heterochromatin matures late in development but is induced early in mouse embryonic stem cells; and that epigenetic marks can rapidly adapt to cell culture.