RNA transport in cancer

• PhD

A critical step in the gene expression pathway that is altered in cancer is nuclear export of messenger RNA (mRNA). We have demonstrated that mRNA export is not constitutive, but highly selective and can regulate distinct biological processes through poorly understood mechanisms.

The extraordinary success of RNA based therapeutics to treat COVID-19 has dramatically increased interest in other types of RNA targeting therapies. We have developed a completely new mRNA targeting therapy that works in the nucleus of cells and has the potential to be an exciting new frontier in cancer therapeutics.

Both fundamental and translational projects using cutting-edge cell biology, molecular biology and genetic approaches are available to understand how RNA transport is mechanistically regulated and how RNA export is altered in cancer.

The Wickramasinghe lab (https://www.wickramasinghelab.com) leverages our curiosity driven work on export of RNA from the nucleus to develop new RNA targeting therapies to treat cancer.

We are a curiosity-driven lab which asks biological questions of fundamental importance. We have a flat lab structure, where everyone’s opinions are respected and valued regardless of title. We collaborate and treat each other with respect and kindness.

Our laboratory makes fundamentally important discoveries with translational potential. For example, we have discovered how different subtypes of RNA, such as circular RNAs are exported from the nucleus (Ngo et al., Nature, 2024 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07060-5).

We have uncovered a role for mRNA export factors in storing mRNAs in nuclear speckles in response to global inhibition of transcription (Williams, Michalak et al, Molecular Cell, 2025).