Heaphy Lab

loading slideshow...

  • Lamin A/C in PrCa

    Costaining for a lamin A/C (green) and cytokeratin 8 in a prostate cancer

  • Breast TDLU

    Telomere and centromere-specific FISH with costaining for smooth muscle actin (magenta) and Ki67 (turquoise)

  • Prostate Cancer TMA

    Telomere-specific FISH with costaining for a basal-specific cytokeratin (magenta) as well as NKX3.1 and FOXA1 (green)

  • Photoreceptors

    Telomere-specific FISH with colabeling for cone nuclei and processes (green) and rod nuclei (magenta)

  • ALT+ PanNET

    Telomere-specific (red) and centromere-specific (green) FISH

The HEAPHY LAB conducts basic and translational research studies focused on elucidating the role of telomere alterations in the initiation of human diseases, particularly cancer.

Overall, we use a combination of tissue-based, cell-based, and molecular approaches to study normal and abnormal telomere biology as it relates to cancer initiation and progression, with a particular interest in the Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT) phenotype – a telomerase-independent telomere maintenance mechanism.

In addition, we focus on how these findings may be readily translated into accurately predicting cancer risk, early detection, prognosis, and potential response to targeted therapies.