Ali Shilatifard, PhD

  • Shilatifard Laboratory
  • Feinberg School of Medicine
  • Chair, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics
  • Director, Simpson Querrey Institute for Epigenetics
  • Robert Francis Furchgott Professor
  • Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Pediatrics

At Northwestern, Shilatifard is the chair of the Department Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics and the Simpson Querrey Center for Epigenetics. Epigenetics in cancer is his area of expertise. The center investigates the link between environmental factors in the regulation of the expression of genes packaged within our chromatin. Such studies aim to define how the misregulation of epigenetic processes can result in pathological conditions and how scientists can take advantage of such molecular information to develop treatments through targeted therapeutics.

Shilatifard says the combination of epigenetic therapy with immunotherapy seems to hold the most potential for treating for cancer and other diseases.