Michael Wigler

Michael Wigler is a renowned Professor and Russell and Janet Doubleday Professor of Cancer Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL). His work focuses on cancer genomics, autism spectrum disorders, and single-cell analysis, with contributions to understanding the role of de novo mutations in genetic diseases. He leads the Wigler Laboratory, part of CSHL's Cancer Center, and has pioneered technologies like single-cell genomic profiling and copy number variation analysis.

Education:

• Ph.D., Microbiology, Columbia University (1978)
• M.M.S., Medicine, Rutgers University (1972)
• B.A., Mathematics, Princeton University (1970)

Research Interests:

Dr. Wigler's lab integrates genomic tools to study cancer heterogeneity and early detection. Key areas include:

• Single-cell analysis for tumor profiling and liquid biopsies
• Role of de novo mutations in autism and congenital disorders
• Genetic mechanisms of cancer metastasis and therapeutic resistance
• Development of genomic technologies like ROMA and MASQ

Articles & Trends:

Recent work emphasizes single-cell approaches for cancer diagnostics (e.g., metastasis suppression in colon cancer, minimal residual disease detection in leukemia) and autism genetics (parental genome sharing in affected siblings). His studies highlight the importance of somatic mosaicism and copy number variations in disease etiology.

Scientific Awards:

• 2020 AACR Academy Fellow
• 2007 Double Helix Medal
• 1991 G.H.A. Clowes Memorial Award
• 1986 American Cancer Society Lifetime Professorship

Advising & Grants:

Mentored over 30 researchers, including postdocs and graduate students in genomics and cancer biology. His lab has secured grants from the Simons Foundation, NIH, and others, supporting projects on autism genetics and cancer diagnostics.

Labs & Teams:

Primary affiliation: Wigler Laboratory (CSHL Cancer Center). Collaborations include work with the Genome Sequencing Center (Washington University) on autism genetics and teams at Columbia University and Memorial Sloan Kettering for pediatric cancer studies.