Research summary
Many traits and diseases are caused by genetic factors that act as modifiers, or variants. Multiple modifiers can influence a person’s likelihood of developing a disease as well as the disease’s severity. Dr. Elena Kuzmin, Canada Research Chair in Synthetic and Functional Genomics, is investigating how multiple modifiers control variations in phenotypes and influence the onset and progression of disease.
She and her research team are studying complex genetic interactions in yeast and human cells to try to answer central questions about these networks. Their research aims to provide insights into the conservation of complex genetic interaction networks, dynamics in response to environmental changes, and their therapeutic potential in treating an aggressive type of breast cancer. Ultimately, their findings could improve our understanding of the genotype-to-phenotype relationship and improve outcomes for breast cancer patients.