Sarah Aitken M.B.Ch.B., Ph.D.

Research

The Aitken lab combines molecular biology, genomics, and image analysis to study how mutations arise and lead to cancer initiation and evolution. Our current understanding of the earliest steps of cancer formation is incomplete, which limits our ability to detect cancers early. We recently adopted a model of liver tumor formation in which we can determine exactly when mutations arise. We will analyze the earliest genetic responses to DNA damage and their histopathologic effects in this model. Specifically, we will use next-generation sequencing and spatial analyses to map DNA and RNA changes across space and time that arise after exposure to a mutagen. We will then utilize AI-based image analysis tools to identify subtle features indicative of early tumor formation that are currently undetectable by pathologists. These features could serve as biomarkers that enable us to detect cancer much earlier in its formation, greatly expanding the window of opportunity to intervene. The techniques we use are also applicable to settings beyond cancer formation and could be applied to yield deeper understanding of how DNA mutations accumulate during normal embryonic development, healthy aging, and chronic disease.