Lindsay M. LaFave

Lindsay M. LaFave, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, holding the Rubenstein Family Early Career Professorship in Environmental Determinants and Disease. Her research focuses on understanding non-genetic mechanisms driving lung cancer progression, particularly through chromatin biology and epigenomic dynamics. She employs genetically engineered mouse models, organoid platforms, and cutting-edge technologies like single-cell ATAC-seq and spatial genomics to study lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) evolution.

Her work investigates how chromatin state transitions disrupt cellular identity and contribute to metastasis, intratumoral heterogeneity, and pre-metastatic programs. Key methodologies include mouse modeling, alveolar organoids, and multi-omic analyses to dissect gene regulatory networks and tumor microenvironment interactions. Notable contributions include defining chromatin plasticity in LUAD and identifying epigenomic signatures predictive of cancer progression.

Awards: No scientific awards explicitly listed in the provided text.

Advising & Grants: While no student names are listed, her research is supported by grants focused on epigenetic mechanisms in cancer. She collaborates across disciplines, integrating computational and experimental approaches to advance precision oncology.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Department of Cell Biology, leveraging collaborations within the Einstein cancer research community to develop novel tools for studying early and late-stage lung cancer progression.