Dr. Walter focuses on splicing factor genes, which carry out the RNA splicing process and are widely mutated in lung cancer. The splicing factor U2AF1 is mutated in 2% of lung cancer patients, but 80% of these mutations are identical, making it one of the most common missense mutations in lung cancer. Scientists do not have a good understanding of why this mutation occurs, or how it promotes cancer development. Dr. Walter will use a combination of cell and mouse model systems along with patient data to identify the unique molecular and genetic features of U2AF1-mutant cancer cells with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets for lung cancer patients.