Tomas Kirchhoff, PhD

The primary interest of my laboratory is focused on the identification of the genetic basis of cancer susceptibility. A key question in these efforts is how the germline genetic events contributing to predisposition of human cancers interact mutually in particular molecular pathways or in concert with the environmental exposures. Specifically, our ongoing studies aim at identification of the genetic variants conferring an increased risk to common cancers, such as breast, colon, prostate cancers or lymphoma, focusing on the relevant molecular pathways. These studies combine the genome-wide association analysis (GWAS), high-throughput genotyping and most recently the next-generation sequencing in large case/control populations. The significant aspect of my current and future research is an integration of the information from somatic genetics in tumors to complement the germline findings. We believe that such integration of biological data will be beneficial not only for improved prevention strategies but most importantly for the future development of the targeted personalized therapies.