Shane Harding

DNA damage occurs as a consequence of normal cellular processes and from environmental exposures. Cellular changes that result from this damage contribute to the normal aging process and to the development of diseases, most notably cancer. To counteract this damage cells have signaling pathways that sense and repair these lesions. On the other hand, treatments for cancer such as radiotherapy and some chemotherapeutics rely on delivering large amounts of DNA damage that overwhelm the cell and cause cell death. The major goals in the laboratory are to understand the contribution of DNA damage and its cellular signaling to pathogenesis, and to develop more effective methods for treating cancer.