Samantha Pattenden

Samantha Pattenden, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and leads research at the Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery. Her work focuses on chromatin biology, epigenetic regulation, and therapeutic discovery for cancers.

• Key Research Areas: Chromatin accessibility, high-throughput screening, cancer diagnostics, epigenetic plasticity, and chemical probe development.
• Notable Contributions: Development of novel assays for chromatin fragmentation, identification of small molecules targeting chromatin regulators, and exploration of tumor microenvironment dynamics.
• Collaborations: Partnerships with researchers across genetics, biomedical engineering, and hematology-oncology.

Scientific Awards:

• IBM Junior Faculty Development Award (2016)
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2004–2006)
• Professional Development Award, Stowers Institute (2004)
• Vision Science Research Fellowships (2003, 2002, 2001, 2000)
• Frank Fletcher Memorial Fund Fellowships (multiple years)

Dr. Pattenden’s recent publications highlight advancements in chromatin-targeted therapies, tumor epigenetics, and innovative screening technologies. Her team has developed methods to extract chromatin from fixed tissues and identified compounds like MS0621 that modulate chromatin states in sarcomas.