Theresa Geiman

Theresa Geiman serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Loyola University Maryland, maintaining her office in Dorothy Day 051. Her research focuses on epigenetic mechanisms including chromatin remodeling, DNA methylation, and histone modifications that regulate gene expression during cellular differentiation, development, and cancer progression.

Dr. Geiman investigates how epigenetic modifications control stem cell gene expression, particularly examining why failure to properly silence stem cell genes in differentiated cells can lead to cancer-like properties such as uncontrolled growth and cellular mobility. Her work explores the shared molecular pathways between normal stem cells and cancer cells, with emphasis on how epigenetic dysregulation contributes to disease states.

Utilizing molecular, biochemical, and cellular techniques across multiple model systems—including mouse embryonic stem cells, genetically modified mice, and human cancer cell lines—her laboratory studies epigenetic modifier proteins by generating knockout models to observe developmental and disease phenotypes. This research provides critical insights into normal cellular homeostasis and pathological conditions like cancer.

Analysis of her publication history reveals sustained focus on the Lsh/HELLS protein family and their roles in DNA methylation dynamics, chromatin organization, and stem cell gene regulation. Her work spans fundamental epigenetic mechanisms in development to translational applications in oncology, consistently employing comparative approaches across mammalian models to elucidate conserved epigenetic principles.