Research

The Francis Lab aims to contribute to the understanding of the etiology, genetics and diagnosis of cancer and other complex diseases. We take a multidisciplinary approach that is between Big Data informatics, population-based epidemiology, and molecular biology. The ultimate goal of all of our work is the prevent disease and identify approaches to improve the survival and quality of life in individuals where disease cannot be prevented.

Development of a Glioma Liquid Biopsy 

We aim to develop a liquid biopsy for glioma. We take a multipronged approach that centers around leveraging extracellular vesicles and novel approaches to next generation sequencing combined with machine learning to identify molecular features that predict subtype and progression. Our goal is to create a personalized clinical tool for both the diagnosis and management of gliomas and other cancers.

Immunity, viruses, genetics in cancer

A central thesis of our work is that the co-evolution of the human genome and infectious challenge has resulted in an evolutionary consequence that maximizes fitness at the cost of increasing complex disease risk. To investigate this hypothesis we conduct studies into glioma risk and prognosis associated with viral infections, and examine our immune response to common viruses as dictated by our underlying genetics.

Retro Elements

Retroelement reactivation could be described as a hallmark of cancer, yet the significant functional relevance of these genetic elements that make up the majority of our genome is just beginning to be understood. What is clear is that in a dysregulated cancer cell, retroelements that are usually silenced in healthy cells, are overexpressed. We are investigating various aspects of retroelements in cancer including germline polymorphisms, somatic alterations and expression.