Beth A. Sullivan, PhD
Research Interests
Dr. Sullivan's research focuses on how chromosomes are epigenetically organized into inherited chromatin domains, and tests the extent to which key organizational and functional aspects of centromeres are conserved between the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and humans. We showed that eukaryotic centromeres have a unique chromatin composition and an epigenetic signature of distinctive histone modifications. Current research projects in the Sullivan Lab are focused into several areas:
1) Identifying genomic and epigenetic mechanisms of centromere specification in humans and flies;
2) Testing the effects on chromosome behavior and gene expression when chromosomal rearrangements disrupt chromatin domains;
3) Dissecting mechanisms that inactivate human centromere regions;
4) Using genomic approaches to identify regions of the human genome that are prone to instability and rearrangement.
Contact Information
Beth Sullivan
Phone: 919-684-9038
CIEMAS 2343
beth.sullivan@duke.edu