Sarah Johnstone, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician scientist interested in how the genome is epigenetically and topologically reorganized in cancer. Dr. Johnstone received her bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology with honors from the University of Chicago. She completed her Ph.D. in Genetics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she performed her doctoral work in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Young. At MIT Sarah studied how different cell types use the same genome to actualize distinct cell states. While MIT was a great training environment for this important problem, she was left curious to understand human disease and set off for medical school at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Missing research, she used her free time to work in the lab of Dr. Steve Baylin and dived deep into cancer epigenetics- trying to understand how misregulation of DNA methylation can impact tumor cells.
Following a residency in Anatomic Pathology and fellowship in Gynecologic Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, she joined the lab of Dr. Bradley Bernstein’s lab to make sense of the nuclear changes she saw in tumor histology. She generated the first whole-genome topological maps in primary tumors and showed that large-scale shifts in chromatin organization in tumors are closely related to DNA hypomethylation. Surprisingly, these changes are not just present in tumors but also aging cells and impact transcriptional programs that repress tumor growth and invasion. These foundational data leave many exciting questions unanswered and form the foundation for her laboratory. Dr. Johnstone joined the Dana Farber Cancer Institute Department of Oncologic Pathology in 2021 and is also a surgical pathologist in the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Women's and Perinatal Pathology group. When not in lab, I can be found: With my husband and 3 kids Favorite book(s): Winter of our Discontent (Steinbeck), Homegoing (Yaa Gyasi), We Were The Mulvaneys (Joyce Carol Oats) What I’m listening to lately: Sheku Kanneh-Mason Fact about me: I have run the Boston Marathon (but my favorite marathon is New York City!)
Aizhan Berthiaume, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab. She received her Bachelor's in Biology degree from Indiana University Bloomington, and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences degree from University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. Aizhan studied genome organization, specifically, nucleolus-associated domains in mouse embryonic stem cells in Dr. Paul Kaufman's laboratory. She is interested in investigating genome reorganizations observed in cancer cells.
When not in lab: I can be found: with my husband and son. Favorite books: "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel, "A short history of nearly everything" by Bill Bryson. Fact about me: I enjoy hiking in mountains near Almaty, my hometown in Kazakhstan.
Xiangyu Liu is a PhD student at Harvard University in the Johnstone lab. Xiangyu earned his medical degree from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Xiangyu’s research is primarily focused on understanding how insulin regulates chromatin topology and DNA methylation to regulate gene expression in stem cell-derived hepatocytes.
When not in lab, I can be found: Traveling with my wife Favorite book: Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami) Fact about me: Always experimenting with cooking diverse ingredients
Kayla Oliveira is a research technician in the lab and recent graduate of Emmanuel College, where she studied Biology. She completed her undergraduate thesis work in the laboratory of Dr. Allen Price and studied site specific DNA cleavage using single molecule methods. Kayla hopes to one day go to medical school.
When not in lab, I can be found: Spending time with family and friends at the beaches in Cape Cod Favorite book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (by Taylor Jenkins Reid) Fun fact: I like to go fishing and boating!
Arsh Khetan is a research technician in the lab. As an undergraduate, he studied Applied Physics with a specialization in Biophysics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He's interested in understanding how complexity arises in biological systems across different scales, how it might relate to their function and can be usefully perturbed. In the future, he plans to get a PhD and work at the intersection of Medicine and Engineering.
When not in lab, I can be found: running around the esplanade!
Favorite books: Infinite Jest (Wallace), Labyrinths (Borges)
Lifelong project: perfecting my Italian cooking
Caitlin Timmons is a research technician in the lab and a recent graduate of Smith College, where she studied Biology and Statistical and Data Sciences. She completed her undergraduate thesis work on the nuclear architecture and genome evolution of understudied protists. She’s passionate about using genomic and computational tools to decipher the epigenome, and hopes to pursue a PhD in the future.
When not in lab, I can be found: getting coffee with friends, thrifting, or playing with my dog Favorite book: The Kingdoms (Natasha Pulley) What I’m listening to lately: Jungle, BTS Fact about me: I play the piano and saxophone
Lily Athanas is an undergraduate student in the lab. She attends Georgetown University. As a human science major, she is building a scientific background in the context of human health and translational science. She is interested in epigenetics and cancer biology, and is hoping to pursue a career in the medical field.