Fall 2024 Grantee Highlight:
Cassandra Hayne

Cassandra Hayne, PhD
Assistant Professor, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chicago

Scott Oakes, MD
Professor of Pathology and Vice Dean for Clinical Science Research, The University of Chicago (Collaborator)

Human genes encode intervening segments, called introns, which are included when ribonucleic acid (RNA) is made from DNA. Introns are removed through a process called “splicing” to generate the mature forms of RNA. Problems with RNA splicing are linked to a growing list of human diseases, including cancer, neurological diseases, and many others. There is still a limited understanding of how the cellular machines responsible for each step in RNA splicing identify their RNA targets, are controlled within cells, and adjust their function to respond to cellular stress conditions. This project combines the strengths of the Hayne and Oakes Labs to define the function of a particular RNA splicing machine and its contributions to human disease.

The University of Chicago recently published an article acknowledging the Mathers Foundation’s support of this research—read it here.