Ruiwei Jiang
M.Sc. Program
Previous Degree: B.Sc. Biochemistry
2011 Cohort
Environmental exposures in early life could regulate the activity of genes related to diseases, and one mechanism through which this could occur is epigenetic modification. We focus on DNA methylation, and whether environmental factors are associated with epigenetic changes that regulate gene expression in the development of asthma and allergic diseases. To investigate the impact of ambient particles, statistical modeling is applied to whole genome DNA methylation data are acquired from primary bronchial tissues of individuals exposed to diesel exhaust. The role of epigenetics in the origins of allergic diseases will also be investigated by identifying DNA methylation signatures in umbilical cord blood dendritic cells from children who later developed allergic diseases.
Supervisor: Michael Kobor
