Our team focuses on tumour development as a transcription- and chromatin-coupled malfunction, with a multidisciplinary approach combining molecular pathology, transcription biology, and ubiquitin signalling.

On of the main project focuses on deciphering how transcription is regulated during the DNA damage response, with a particular interest in understanding how the chromatin-bound elongating RNA Polymerase II is controlled upon genotoxic stress. We investigate how DDR kinases and E3 ligases orchestrate transcriptional silencing and RNAPII degradation, and how this process contributes to chromatin remodelling and genome stability in tumour development. We apply genome-wide ChIP-seq, super-resolution STORM microscopy, and proteomics to define the dynamic changes in chromatin during DNA repair. In the project we focus on elucidating the role of specific E3 ubiquitin ligases and deubiquitylases (DUBs) in transcription-coupled DNA repair. We study the regulatory network of ubiquitin signaling on RNAPII, aiming to reveal novel therapeutic targets in DNA repair-deficient tumours.

The second project focuses on the identification of circulating microRNA and mRNA signatures as non-invasive biomarkers in solid tumours, with a special emphasis on breast cancer. We investigate the clinical potential of tissue-, serum- and plasma-derived miRNA panels to enable early detection, subtype classification, and progression monitoring. Our goal is to integrate mRNA- and miRNA-based diagnostics into existing clinical workflows, offering rapid and minimally invasive screening tools for high-risk populations. This project combines NGS profiling, bioinformatics, and validation in multicenter clinical cohorts, aiming to provide clinically applicable miRNA panels that could improve diagnostic precision, reduce reliance on invasive biopsies, and enable real-time monitoring of tumour evolution during treatment.