Research Interests

Research in the  Burma laboratory is focused on the responses of mammalian cells to DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). These responses are of paramount importance in the field of cancer biology - on one hand DSBs cause cancer, while on the other hand these breaks are induced by radiation or chemotherapy to treat the disease. The overarching goal of the laboratory is to comprehensively understand the network of cellular responses to DSBs, collectively called the DNA damage response (DDR).

The Burma laboratory is involved in studying DDR events triggered both by terrestrial radiation (gamma rays) as well as by radiation in outer space (HZE particles), with three synergistic research projects that aim to comprehensively understand DDR events and their cancer implications.