WEHI Special Personalised Oncology Seminar hosted by Dr Saskia Freytag

Dr Helen McRae

Postdoctoral Fellow, Hargreaves Lab (MCBL-A), Salk Institute for Biological Studies, USA

Epigenetic reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages –  targeting the BAF nucleosome remodeling complex

L7W Seminar Room

Join via TEAMS

Including Q&A session

The BAF (mammalian SWI/SNF) nucleosome remodeling complex controls cell-type specific chromatin accessibility. Several tumor types depend on the BAF complex for their growth and thus inhibitors targeting the BAF complex for clinical purposes have been developed.

This seminar will discuss how disrupting the BAF complex (using pharmacological and genetic methods) impacts immune cells in the tumor microenvironment in mouse cancer models.

In particular, this talk will highlight a novel role for the BAF complex in tumor associated macrophages and describe work towards understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which disrupting the BAF complex affects anti-tumor immunity.

Helen McRae is postdoctoral fellow at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the laboratory of Diana Hargreaves where she is researching the role of the BAF nucleosome remodeling complex in the tumor microenvironment. She completed her PhD under the supervision of Anne Voss and Tim Thomas at WEHI, focused on the role of chromatin-associated proteins in blood development and leukemia. Helen’s visit to Australia is funded by the Lorne Cancer Conference Boomerang Travel Fellowship.

All Welcome!