Kadir Akdemir
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Department of Neurosurgery
The Akdemir lab focuses on integrative computational analyses projects to advance efforts for precision cancer medicine. We generate and analyze multi-omics datasets such as whole-genome sequencing, chromatin organization and single-cell sequencing from common (i.e. glioblastoma) or rare (i.e. chordoma) CNS tumor types to investigate how tumor evolution shapes the chromatin organization and tumor microenvironment.
We are part of several scientific organizations such as the NIH’s 4Dnucleome project, the Break Through Cancer Foundation, MD Anderson’s GBM Moonshot and BRAIN-SPORE teams.
Potential projects include:
Elucidating the functional consequences of complex genomic alterations
Cancer genomes are predominantly restructured due to somatically-acquired, catastrophic rearrangements. However, our ability to determine the clinical implications of these complex rearrangements in cancer genomes remains limited. We develop novel computational methods to utilize chromatin organization information for analyzing the rearranged chromosomes.
Investigating the influence of epigenome on mutational processes
Somatic mutations arise during the life of a cell and in the generation of its progeny. We investigate the effects of three-dimensional genome organization on the distribution of somatic mutations in human cancers with the aim of elucidating the potential role of genome folding on DNA damage and repair processes.
Developing computational methods for integrative analysis of large genomic datasets
We develop computational tools to mine and visualize diverse genomic assay outputs in order to expand our understanding of how different molecular processes are involved in tumor initiation, progression and response to cancer therapies.
Education & Training
PhD, MD Anderson UTHealth Houston Graduate School, 2013