Current Research
Mentor: Dan Herschlag, PhD
RNA regulates gene expression by folding into complex structures and binding proteins. Lauren Hagler wants to predict how the structure of RNA inside a cell will affect downstream gene expression for any RNA sequence or mutation. Hagler’s research will bridge the gap between traditional biochemistry and high-throughput genomics to build a predictive model based on biophysical data. She hopes that this model will ultimately allow researchers to predict and modulate gene expression for therapeutic intervention.