Raquel Cuella Martin
Assistant Professor,聽Department of Human Genetics
Member,聽Canada Excellence Research Chair in Genomic Medicine
Investigator,聽Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine
PhD - Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford
Postdoctoral Fellowship, EMBO fellow at Columbia University, New York
Raquel Cuella Martin聽joined the Department of Human Genetics and the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Genomic Medicine as an assistant professor in August 2022. She聽undertook her Ph.D. studies at Dr. JR. Chapman鈥檚 lab at the Wellcome Center for Human Genetics (University of Oxford). During this time, Raquel described the mechanistic role of the DNA repair protein 53BP1 in optimal p53 tumour suppressor responses. In her postdoctoral work as an EMBO long-term fellow at the Ciccia lab (Columbia University), she used CRISPR-dependent base editing to perform genetic screens at nucleotide resolution and functionalize DNA variants at scale. Such an approach allowed her to identify loss-, gain- and separation-of-function mutations, and new functional domains in DNA damage response proteins, and to functionalize variants of uncertain significance in cancer predisposition syndromes.聽
Our lab applies cutting-edge large-scale precision genome editing to address outstanding mechanistic questions in the DNA damage response and their association with human disorders. We believe聽that the swift incorporation of large-scale precision genome editing into the day-to-day benchwork at the functional genomics laboratory can transform our approach to complex biological questions. We are interested in the mechanisms whereby DNA repair and checkpoint control activities are integrated, and how they coordinate to preserve cellular homeostasis and suppress tumorigenesis. In addition, we are excited about the power of precision genome editing to understand disease-associated genetic variation and to improve intelligent drug design.
- Simo Cheyou, E, Boni, J, Boulais, J, Pinedo-Carpio, E, Malina, A, Sherill-Rofe, D聽et al.. Systematic proximal mapping of the classical RAD51 paralogs unravel functionally and clinically relevant interactors for genome stability. PLoS Genet. 2022;18 (11):e1010495. doi:聽. PubMed聽听.
- Taglialatela, A, Leuzzi, G, Sannino, V, Cuella-Martin, R, Huang, JW, Wu-Baer, F聽et al.. REV1-Pol味 maintains the viability of homologous recombination-deficient cancer cells through mutagenic repair of PRIMPOL-dependent ssDNA gaps. Mol Cell. 2021;81 (19):4008-4025.e7. doi:聽. PubMed聽聽PubMed Central聽.
- Cuella-Martin, R, Hayward, SB, Fan, X, Chen, X, Huang, JW, Taglialatela, A聽et al.. Functional interrogation of DNA damage response variants with base editing screens. Cell. 2021;184 (4):1081-1097.e19. doi:聽. PubMed聽聽PubMed Central聽.
- Joseph, SA, Taglialatela, A, Leuzzi, G, Huang, JW, Cuella-Martin, R, Ciccia, A聽et al.. Time for remodeling: SNF2-family DNA translocases in replication fork metabolism and human disease. DNA Repair (Amst). 2020;95 :102943. doi:聽. PubMed聽聽PubMed Central聽.
- Huang, JW, Acharya, A, Taglialatela, A, Nambiar, TS, Cuella-Martin, R, Leuzzi, G聽et al.. MCM8IP activates the MCM8-9 helicase to promote DNA synthesis and homologous recombination upon DNA damage. Nat Commun. 2020;11 (1):2948. doi:聽. PubMed聽聽PubMed Central聽.
- Nambiar, TS, Billon, P, Diedenhofen, G, Hayward, SB, Taglialatela, A, Cai, K聽et al.. Stimulation of CRISPR-mediated homology-directed repair by an engineered RAD18 variant. Nat Commun. 2019;10 (1):3395. doi:聽. PubMed聽聽PubMed Central聽.
- Becker, JR, Cuella-Martin, R, Barazas, M, Liu, R, Oliveira, C, Oliver, AW聽et al.. The ASCIZ-DYNLL1 axis promotes 53BP1-dependent non-homologous end joining and PARP inhibitor sensitivity. Nat Commun. 2018;9 (1):5406. doi:聽. PubMed聽聽PubMed Central聽.
- Cuella-Martin, R, Oliveira, C, Lockstone, HE, Snellenberg, S, Grolmusova, N, Chapman, JR聽et al.. 53BP1 Integrates DNA Repair and p53-Dependent Cell Fate Decisions via Distinct Mechanisms. Mol Cell. 2016;64 (1):51-64. doi:聽. PubMed聽聽PubMed Central聽.
