My laboratory seeks to identify and understand how novel but recurrent genetic alterations impact cellular proliferation, differentiation, and self-renewal programs during tumorigenesis and development. Our overarching goals are to develop new prognostic and diagnostic tools, as well as identify novel therapeutic agents and strategies for patients with these specific alterations. To these ends, we developed multiple mouse models to address complex biological issues related to cancer biology and developmental biology. Much of our recent work has focused on determining the causal relationships between aberrant hnRNP K expression –an RNA binding protein– and its role in tumor formation and a congenital developmental syndrome called Au-Kline syndrome. Alterations in hnRNP K protein expression impact these processes by deregulating global RNA expression and protein translation. To address novel therapeutic strategies when hnRNP K expression is altered, we are examining the efficacy of novel small molecules that inhibit hnRNP K function.