The main research interest of our group is to study the molecular mechanisms governing the transcriptional regulation of liver-specific genes. Tissue-specific expression of hepatic genes is driven by transcription factor families including hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 (HNF-1), HNF-3, HNF-4 and HNF-6. These transcription factors are also expressed in other tissues, but their combined high-level expression is a unique feature of the liver.

Our research is broadly centered around the analysis of the function of hepatic regulators and the general transcription machinery. We use biochemical, genetic and cell biology approaches to study the chromatin organization and the regulated assembly of the transcription machinery on hepatic genes involved in the regulation of various metabolic pathways and hepatocyte differentiation. In addition we study epigenetic mechanisms with an ultimate goal to describe the complete Epigenomes matching the hepatocyte cell type at different stages of liver development.