Karl Shpargel

Karl Shpargel, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Genetics at the UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on chromatin structure, epigenetic regulation, and the role of histone-modifying enzymes in craniofacial development and cancer. He leads the Shpargel Lab, which employs mouse genetics, cell culture models, and genomic approaches to study enhancer activation in neural crest cells and cancer pathogenesis.

Dr. Shpargel has held grants including an R01 from NIDCR (2021) for studying enhancer mechanisms in cranial neural crest differentiation. His work bridges basic science and disease models, with publications in top journals. He is affiliated with the Department of Genetics and collaborates across disciplines to advance understanding of developmental disorders and cancer biology.

Key research areas include histone modification dynamics, epigenetic regulation of gene expression, and the molecular mechanisms underlying craniofacial anomalies. His lab uses cutting-edge techniques like low-cell-number genomics and proteomics to dissect chromatin changes during cell differentiation.

Recent publications highlight studies on KMT2D/KDM6A interactions in Kabuki syndrome and the role of UTX in T cell antiviral responses. He actively mentors students and postdocs in translational epigenetics research.