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Katherine Friedman

Department of Biological Sciences
Fisk/Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC)
VICC Genome Maintenance Research Program


The Friedman lab uses the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study basic mechanisms of DNA replication and DNA repair, with a particular emphasis on telomere biology. We use genetic and biochemical approaches to identify regulatory mechanisms affecting DNA repair pathway choice at double-strand breaks. Recent work has identified sites in the yeast genome that serve as “hotspots” of de novo telomere addition following a chromosome break.

The Friedman lab uses the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model system to study basic mechanisms of DNA replication and DNA repair, with a particular emphasis on telomere biology. We use genetic and biochemical approaches to identify regulatory mechanisms affecting DNA repair pathway choice at double-strand breaks. Recent work has identified sites in the yeast genome that serve as “hotspots” of de novo telomere addition following a chromosome break.

Keywords: DNA replication , DNA repair , Telomere , Telomerase , Non-homologous End joining , Yeast

Research Area: Cell Cycle, DNA Repair, and Chromosome Biology , Cancer Biology