Discovering and analyzing changes in people's DNA
The Somatic Mutations in Development and Aging Lab studies somatic variants, which are changes that happen in human cells during a person's lifetime rather than being passed down from family members.
Overview
Alexej Abyzov, Ph.D., leads the Somatic Mutations in Development and Aging Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. The lab discovers and analyzes changes in people's DNA — called genomic variants — and explores how these changes affect health and disease. The lab specializes in somatic variants, which are changes that happen in people's cells during their lifetimes rather than being passed down from family members. These variants can cause cancer and other diseases.
Dr. Abyzov's lab works to find genomic variants and predict their effects. This helps personalize medical care, such as cancer treatment, so that healthcare teams can better manage disease with less disruption to patients' lives. Dr. Abyzov and his team are advancing the understanding of genomic variants to identify people's genetic risks of various diseases before the diseases occur. The lab also studies ways to monitor these risks throughout patients' lives and improve therapy when treatment is needed.