The ACCESS lab

From chromatin to careers: understanding how access shapes outcomes.

The ACCESS Lab investigates how biological systems gain access to new states through epigenetic activation, chromatin dynamics, and signaling and applies these principles to understanding access in biomedical education and careers. Our work integrates cancer biology with training and workforce development to examine how environments, constraints, and opportunity shape outcomes.

What we do

We study:

• Epigenetic regulation and chromatin accessibility in cancer

• Cancer-testis antigens (including XAGE and MAGE families)

• Mechanisms driving invasion, motility, and disease progression

We also build:

• • Training models that expand access to biomedical research

  • Structured pathways for students pursuing pre-health and STEM careers

  • Programs that address barriers to persistence, including financial and structural constraints

The ACCESS framework

We conceptualize access as a system spanning biological and human pathways:

Activation → Chromatin → Constraints → Expression → Signaling → Spread

This framework links mechanisms of cellular state change with pathways that shape opportunity in science and medicine.

Call to Action

• Learn about our research

• Explore the ACCESS framework

• Join the lab