Dr. Stroud [HHMI Fellow] is examining the distinct role of MeCP2, a protein that binds methyl-CpG-DNA and regulates neuronal chromatin, which "packages" DNA. The proposed research has significant implications for causes and mechanisms of cancer, as dysregulation of DNA methylation and other chromatin modifications represent early oncogenic events in a wide range of human cancers.  His project may have particular relevance to cancers of the nervous system.