Using RNA-sequencing I identified several hallmarks pancreatic cancer stem cells, validated them with large scale qPCR analyses, and created CRISPR-knockout models to assess their function. Moreover, I have chemically targeted a pancreatic cancer stem cell marker and consequently characterised tumour- stem cell content, -proliferation, -apoptosis and -metabolic plasticity

I joined the Epigenetics and Development group at the Institute of Reproductive Biology and gained experience in culture, maintenance and manipulation of mouse Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) and Epiblast Stem Cells (EpiSCs). In particular, I used Chromatin Immuno-precipitation and Chromosome conformation capture (4C) to study the functional interplay between nuclear receptor co-regulators in the control of ESC specific gene transcription.

I worked on the development of a detection method for 3’ uridylated microRNAs; tagged-miRNAs for degradation by the exosome complex. I took on the challenge of creating a method for the detection of 3’ uridylated microRNAs, where no commercial platform was available for their detection. This involved tail end modification and adapter ligation for sequencing and PCR detection, TaqMan probe design for qPCR detection as well as LNA design for validation by Northern Blot

I joined the group of professor Anders Lund at the Biotech Research and Innovation Centre in Copenhagen to pursue my PhD training in the field of microRNAs and epigenetics. During this time, I used a microRNA-microarray and identified 20 deregulated microRNAs during the development of the gastric cancer, I subsequently re- introduced their expression into gastric cancer cell lines and identified and characterised their direct targets. In addition, I undertook an ambitious project aimed at examining genome-wide the epigenetic dynamics across the mammalian cell cycle. To achieve this goal, I sorted primary human fibroblasts in different phases of the cell cycle and build, using Chromatin Immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing, over 40 maps of different histone modifications and chromatin binding proteins.

I used the opportunity at the Genomic Imprinting and Development group to build my expertise in molecular biology techniques, including RNA and DNA extraction, qPCR, RNA fish, southern blotting. I completed my thesis on "Regulation of genomic imprinting at the Kcnq1 locus"