Sandipan Brahma, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Anatomy
Co-Director, Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology MS Program
Dr. Brahma (he/him) received his doctoral training at Southern Illinois University and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he worked in the lab of Prof. Blaine Bartholomew. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in the lab of Prof. Steve Henikoff. Dr. Brahma was awarded a K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award from the NIH and began his independent position as an Assistant Professor at UNMC in April 2023. He is affiliated with the graduate programs in Molecular Genetics & Cell Biology (MGCB), Bioinformatics & Systems Biology (BISB), Cancer Research (CR), and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (BMB) at UNMC. Dr. Brahma is an editorial board member for Frontiers in Epigenetics and Epigenomics and The Nucleus journals. He teaches courses on Epigenetics, Chromatin Structure & Function, Genomics Technologies, and Bioinformatics, and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and inspiring them to pursue fearless science. He is also committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within the scientific community and actively engages in initiatives that promote these values.
- Post-doc, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA
- PhD, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, IL, and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, TX
- MS, University of Calcutta, India
- BS, University of Calcutta, India
Our laboratory investigates the fundamental mechanisms governing the organization of DNA inside a cell’s nucleus into chromatin. These processes play a crucial role in regulating normal cellular functions, as well as the development of diseases, including cancer. To achieve our research objective, we adopt an interdisciplinary approach utilizing cutting-edge structural and functional epigenomics techniques, biochemistry, and bioinformatics.
Our ultimate goal is to unravel how various cell types in the human body package DNA and use the information encoded in DNA in distinct ways to perform specific functions. This comprehensive exploration will enable us to gain valuable insights into disease mechanisms and, ultimately, devise interventions to alter the outcomes of such diseases.
- The BAF chromatin remodeler synergizes with RNA polymerase II and transcription factors to evict nucleosomes. Nature Genetics, 2024.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01603-8 - Transcriptional-translational conflict is a barrier to cellular transformation and cancer progression. Cancer Cell, 2023.
https://www.cell.com/cancer-cell/fulltext/S1535-6108(23)00094-6 - RSC-Associated Subnucleosomes Define MNase-Sensitive Promoters in Yeast, Molecular Cell, 2019.
https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(18)30940-7
- K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, NIH NIGMS, 2021 – 2026