Thomas Fazzio

Thomas Fazzio is a Professor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, affiliated with the T.H. Chan School of Medicine and multiple departments including Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, and Systems Biology. He holds additional roles in graduate programs at the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. His research focuses on chromatin regulation in stem cells, cancer biology, and developmental epigenetics.

Education and Training:

• B.S. in Biology, University of Utah (1997)
• Ph.D. in Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (2004)
• Postdoctoral work at University of California, San Francisco (2004–2010)

Research Interests: Thomas's lab investigates how chromatin structure influences gene expression and cell fate in embryonic and cancer stem cells. Key projects include studying the Tip60-p400 chromatin remodeling complex, chromatin dynamics during differentiation, and epigenetic mechanisms in cancer stem cells. Techniques used include molecular biology, genomics, and systems-level approaches.

Publications: His recent work highlights novel insights into chromatin packaging in sperm (2023), EZH2 inhibition in pancreatic cancer (2023), and EXOC2's role in ALS/FTD (2024). Research trends emphasize multi-omics profiling and epigenetic regulation in disease contexts.

Awards:

• Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Fellowship (Postdoctoral)
• NIH Pathway to Independence Award

Advising & Labs: Offers rotation projects on chromatin regulators, Tip60-p400 mechanisms, and cancer stem cells. Active postdoc positions are available. Collaborations include work with Oliver Rando and Lihua Zhu on chromatin profiling techniques.

Labs/Teams: His lab integrates computational and experimental approaches to study dynamic chromatin landscapes, with a focus on translational applications in cancer and regenerative medicine.