We study the functional importance of the non-coding genome in development and disease.

It is increasingly clear that the vast non-coding genome encodes important genetic information that regulates development and disease. The overall focus of the He lab is to understand the biological functions and the molecular regulation of various non-coding transcripts, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and retrotransposons. Using mouse and frog genetics, genomics, cell and molecular biology approaches, we aim to dissect the fundamental mechanisms that underlie the functional interplay between protein-coding genes and non-coding genes in development and disease.