The Coughlan lab opened its doors in University College Dublin in April 2024, when Dr. Aisling Coughlan joined the School of Medicine as an Ad Astra Assistant Professor. 

Our work is focused on leveraging epigenomic and functional genomics methods to find new therapeutic avenues in difficult-to-treat cancers. With a particular focus on haematological malignancies, we are using CRISPR-Cas9 screening to uncover therapy resistance mechanisms, and to identify novel sensitizing drug targets.

In close collaboration with clinical oncologists, we are also striving to understand the epigenomic differences that underlie drug sensitivity, both inter- and intra-patient. The advent of low-input and single-cell epigenomics techniques provides a hugely promising therapeutic opportunity in this area.