Research
The Hahn laboratory has developed systematic approaches to discover and characterize genes that drive cancer initiation, progression and tumor maintenance. Our overarching goal is to understand how DNA mutations and elements of the tumor micro-environment cooperate to drive cancer initiation and progression, both to decipher the biological basis of cancer and to develop new therapeutic approaches.
Together with colleagues in the DFCI Center for Cancer Genome Discovery and Center for Cancer Systems Biology, we have created an integrated cancer genomics platform that combines whole genome methods in patient derived tumors with functional genomic validation studies in experimental models. With our colleagues at the Broad Institute, we have developed genome scale tools to perform somatic cell genetics in mammalian cells, including genome scale collections of RNAi, CRISPR and ORFs. We have deployed these tools to perform loss-of-function genetic screens in human cancer cell lines in Project Achilles and the Cancer Dependency Map. The principal goal of these projects are to uncover synthetic lethal interactions and non-oncogene dependencies existing in cancer cells that harbor specific mutations. We have shown evidence that these technologies can be deployed in a translational effort to discover and validate cancer targets. Our goal is to use these approaches to discover molecular mechanisms required for cancers and to drive development of new clinical trials focused on targeting specific cancer targets in selected patient populations.
Together with colleagues in the DFCI Center for Cancer Genome Discovery and Center for Cancer Systems Biology, we have created an integrated cancer genomics platform that combines whole genome methods in patient derived tumors with functional genomic validation studies in experimental models. With our colleagues at the Broad Institute, we have developed genome scale tools to perform somatic cell genetics in mammalian cells, including genome scale collections of RNAi, CRISPR and ORFs. We have deployed these tools to perform loss-of-function genetic screens in human cancer cell lines in Project Achilles and the Cancer Dependency Map. The principal goal of these projects are to uncover synthetic lethal interactions and non-oncogene dependencies existing in cancer cells that harbor specific mutations. We have shown evidence that these technologies can be deployed in a translational effort to discover and validate cancer targets. Our goal is to use these approaches to discover molecular mechanisms required for cancers and to drive development of new clinical trials focused on targeting specific cancer targets in selected patient populations.