Jeanne B Lawrence

Jeanne B Lawrence is the Leo P. and Theresa M. LaChance Chair in Medical Research and Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. She has been a faculty member at UMass Chan since 1985, following her PhD in developmental biology from Brown University in 1982. Her groundbreaking work has established fundamental principles in chromosome biology and epigenetics.

Dr. Lawrence's research focuses on nuclear and genome organization, particularly the role of non-coding RNA in chromosome regulation. Her lab pioneered techniques to visualize individual genes and RNAs within nuclear structure, leading to the seminal discovery that XIST RNA coats the inactive X-chromosome and induces epigenetic silencing. Her work has revealed how large-scale segmental genome architecture relates to cytogenetic bands and repeat elements, demonstrating that repeat-rich RNAs play critical structural roles in maintaining open chromatin packaging.

Her lab has made several major discoveries: (1) XIST RNA's capacity to silence an entire chromosome, (2) the structural role of repeat-rich RNAs in chromosome architecture, (3) the link between satellite II repeats and cancer-specific nuclear bodies, and (4) the application of XIST technology to silence trisomy 21 in Down syndrome patient stem cells. Her recent work examines how Alu and L1 repeats distribute after X-chromosome inactivation and how they relate to chromatin regulation.

Analysis of Dr. Lawrence's publications reveals consistent focus on chromosome architecture and non-coding RNA function. Her work spans fundamental mechanisms of X-chromosome inactivation, the structural role of repeat elements in genome organization, and translational applications for chromosomal disorders. The publications demonstrate evolution from early cytological studies to modern transcriptomic and biochemical approaches, with increasing emphasis on repeat elements and their roles in both normal development and disease.

Dr. Lawrence's research has been continuously funded through competitive grants, enabling her lab to develop innovative technologies like stringent biochemical fractionation and RNAseq transcriptomics. Her work bridges fundamental chromosome biology with clinical applications, particularly in developing approaches to correct chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome through epigenetic silencing.

The Lawrence Lab maintains active research programs in nuclear architecture, X-chromosome inactivation mechanisms, repeat genome function, and translational applications for chromosomal disorders. The lab utilizes advanced molecular cytology, biochemical fractionation, and genomic approaches to investigate how large-scale chromosome organization relates to gene regulation in development and disease.