Investigators

Summary

The Aird lab focuses on the reciprocal regulation between cellular metabolism and the cell cycle. The interplay between cell cycle and metabolism is bidirectional, although incompletely understood. While proliferating cells require energy and biomass, metabolites can also act as signaling molecules to impact epigenetic and transcriptional programs, thereby influencing biology beyond macromolecule needs. Our lab has made fundamental discoveries into how metabolism informs proliferative cell fate decisions by studying two extremes of proliferation: cancer and cellular senescence. Both cancer and senescent cells are highly metabolically active, yet the outcomes of this rewiring are distinct. We aim to ask fundamental questions related to how the cell cycle informs metabolic decisions and vice versa. Using cancer as a model system, we aim to answer fundamental questions on the bidirectional control of metabolism and the cell cycle.

Our specific questions:

1)    How do metabolic cues lead to differential cell cycle decisions? 

2)    How does cell cycle derangement affect metabolism and what are the consequences of this on intrinsic and extrinsic signaling?

3)    What are the consequences of bidirectional cell cycle and metabolism programs on intrinsic and extrinsic signaling?