Current Whitehead Fellows

Brummelkamp exploits a process called RNA interference (RNAi), which can selectively turn off specific genes, to study genes implicated in cancer. He and his colleagues hope to use RNAi to identify vulnerabilities in a cancer cell’s genetic make-up that can be targeted by new therapeutics.

Camargo is working to understand the basic molecular mechanisms that control cells known as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Found in human bone marrow, HSCs have the uncanny ability to differentiate into several kinds of essential blood cells, such as blood-clotting platelets and infection-fighting lymphocytes. He is studying the mechanisms underlying HSC “plasticity,” the term used to describe a stem cell’s unique ability to transform into many different cell types.

Using computational methods, Hui Ge builds maps of how genes and their proteins interact during embryonic development of the C. elegans worm. To check the accuracy of her maps, the Ge lab predicts how a protein or gene will act in a certain situation and then tests the prediction in live worms. This work illuminates many previously unknown relationships between numerous proteins and genes.

Hochwagen studies cell division, in particular meiosis, the process by which sperm and egg cells are created. He's interested in the surveillance mechanisms that guard against mistakes during this essential biological process, probing the mechanism by which cells repair genetic damage.

Kate Rubins studies poxviruses, a class that includes not only smallpox but cowpox, monkeypox and vaccinia—the virus from which the smallpox vaccine is developed. She is currently studying tissue culture models of vaccinia and collaborating with the U.S. Army to develop therapies for Ebola virus. She is also conducting field studies in the Democratic Republic of Congo to research monkeypox.

Using a synthesis of standard biological and biochemical research techniques with the experimental and theoretical tool kit of physics, Wiggins is building quantitative models of biological processes and phenomena. His work is currently focused on understanding the mechanisms that shape the physical structure of chromosomes and investigating the role of chromatin structure in gene expression.

Defne Yarar investigates how a network of proteins, called the actin cytoskeleton, contribute to and are regulated during endocytosis. In endocytosis, the outer membrane of the cell folds inward to form small compartments, entirely enclosed by membrane. This operation is involved in nutrient uptake, certain forms of cell regulation (such as turning off extracellular growth signals), immune system function and other crucial tasks. Problems in endocytosis can result in diseases, such as familial hypercholesterolemia and have been linked to cancer development.