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Research

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DNA Repair Mechanisms and Genome Stability

This research focus centers on the molecular mechanisms of DNA repair, with particular emphasis on the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, a key system responsible for removing bulky DNA lesions such as UV-induced damage.

Our studies aim to:

  • Elucidate the molecular architecture and regulation of NER, including global genome repair (GG-NER) and transcription-coupled repair (TC-NER),

  • Investigate the role of defective DNA repair in cancer development, premature aging, and genome instability–associated diseases,

  • Characterize proteomic and metabolomic alterations associated with impaired or activated DNA repair pathways,

  • Identify repair-associated biomarkers and molecular vulnerabilities with potential diagnostic or therapeutic relevance.

By integrating molecular biology, proteomics, and metabolomics, this research axis provides a systems-level understanding of genome maintenance mechanisms in health and disease.

Molecular Metabolism of Cancer

This research focus explores the interplay between DNA damage responses and cellular metabolism in cancer, with a particular emphasis on carbohydrate metabolism and redox homeostasis.

Key objectives include:

  • Investigating how DNA damage and repair processes reshape metabolic pathways during cancer initiation and progression,

  • Elucidating the role of glucose metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and NADPH homeostasis in genome stability,

  • Mapping proteomic and metabolomic rewiring in response to genotoxic stress and oncogenic transformation,

  • Identifying metabolic dependencies that can be exploited for therapeutic intervention.

This axis bridges genome maintenance and cancer metabolism, revealing how metabolic plasticity supports tumor survival under conditions of chronic DNA damage.

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Translational Drug Discovery and Development

This research focus is dedicated to the development of innovative therapeutic strategies, primarily targeting cancer, through an integrated drug discovery and translational research pipeline.

Our activities include:

  • Computer-aided drug design (CADD) and structure-based modeling of novel small-molecule candidates,

  • Chemical synthesis and optimization of designed compounds,

  • Evaluation of biological activity using in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo models,

  • Molecular, proteomic, and metabolomic profiling to elucidate mechanisms of action, efficacy, and resistance.

By combining rational drug design with experimental validation, this axis aims to translate fundamental discoveries into clinically relevant therapeutic candidates.

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