About
Keith D. Robertson, Ph.D., is a Professor of Pharmacology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with primary and joint appointments as Consultant in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, respectively. He leads the Epigenetic Etiology of Human Disease Laboratory, focusing on the role of epigenetic modifications—particularly DNA and histone methylation—in human health and disease.
His research spans three major areas: (1) how environmental factors like viral infections and diet disrupt the epigenome to drive liver disease and cancer; (2) how mutations in epigenetic regulators such as SETD2 and NSD1 contribute to renal cell carcinoma and developmental disorders like Luscan-Lumish and Sotos syndromes; and (3) the development of epigenetic biomarkers and targeted therapies for early cancer detection and personalized treatment. His work leverages advanced genomic and epigenomic technologies to uncover disease mechanisms and therapeutic vulnerabilities.
Dr. Robertson's recent publications highlight trends in epigenetic heterogeneity, clonal hematopoiesis, metabolic dysregulation in cancer, and the interplay between histone and DNA methylation. His studies increasingly focus on translational applications, including synthetic lethality in SETD2-mutant cancers and non-invasive biomarker discovery from cell-free DNA.
- President, Epigenetics Society, 2005–2007
Dr. Robertson has secured multiple NIH and federal grants, including ongoing projects from the National Cancer Institute and Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, supporting research on epigenetic vulnerabilities in renal cancer and liver disease. He mentors postdoctoral fellows and collaborates extensively across Mayo Clinic’s research centers, including the Comprehensive Cancer Center and Center for Individualized Medicine. His lab actively investigates novel therapeutic modalities and epigenetic drug combinations.
The Epigenetic Etiology of Human Disease Laboratory collaborates with key research programs such as the Center for Cell Signaling in Gastroenterology (C-SiG) and the Cancer Cell Genomics, Signaling, and Metastasis Program, fostering interdisciplinary research in epigenetics, cancer biology, and regenerative medicine.
Research fields
