معرفی
Karen Vasquez is a Professor and Division Head of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the College of Pharmacy of The University of Texas at Austin. She also holds Courtesy Professor appointments in Pediatrics and Oncology at Dell Medical School, and leads the Molecular Oncology Program at Livestrong Cancer Institutes. Her research focuses on DNA structure-induced genomic instability, non-canonical DNA conformations like triplex and G-quadruplexes, and their roles in cancer etiology.
- Education:
- Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Baylor College of Medicine (1996)
- B.S. in Biology/Marine Science, University of Miami (1987)
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Yale University (1997-2000)
Research Interests center on mechanisms of DNA damage recognition and repair, particularly how non-B DNA structures (triplex, Z-DNA, cruciforms) contribute to mutagenesis and cancer. She investigates strategies to exploit these structures for gene targeting and cancer therapy, focusing on HMGB proteins and DNA repair enzymes as therapeutic targets.
Her 2023-2025 publications reveal trends in studying Z-DNA dynamics, G-quadruplex mapping across genomes, obesity/aging effects on mutation hotspots, and computational tools like ZSeeker for DNA structure prediction. Key collaborations involve MD Anderson Cancer Center and Dell Pediatric Research Institute.
Scientific Awards include the James T. Doluisio Professor title and Coulter R. Sublett Fellowship. Her lab team includes research associates and graduate students working on DNA repair mechanisms and therapeutic applications.
