Amy Whitaker

Amy Whitaker is an Assistant Professor at Temple University’s Fox Chase Cancer Center, affiliated with the Cancer Epigenetics Institute Research Program. She holds a PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Texas A&M University and a BS in Chemistry from the University of St. Thomas. Her research focuses on the interplay between DNA repair mechanisms and the transcriptional regulation of cancer-associated genes, particularly involving oxidative DNA lesions and G-quadruplex structures. Key techniques include structural biology (X-ray crystallography, Cryo-EM), nucleic acid enzymology, and single-molecule fluorescence microscopy.

Dr. Whitaker has been recognized with awards such as the EMGS Newly Independent Investigator Engagement Program Awardee (2022) and the NIH Pathway to Independence Award (2020). Her lab investigates DNA repair strategies in G-quadruplex regions and their impact on tumor suppressor and oncogene expression. Recent grants include the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust Medical Research grant (2023).

Current lab members include postdoc Elham Ahanin, technician Shanae Franklin, and student Christopher Merlo. Alumni include Haley Kravitz (now a PhD student at Drexel University) and Oviyanna Umoh. Her work aims to identify molecular targets for cancer therapy through mechanistic insights into DNA repair pathways.