Dr. Baker seeks to understand the molecular mechanism of how large protein assemblies actively rearrange local areas of chromatin, acting as keystone regulators of gene expression. He focuses on the SWI/SNF family of proteins. Recent genomic studies have shown that nearly 20% of all tumors contain a mutation in SWI/SNF genes. Notably, these mutations frequently result in with aberrant or uncontrolled SWI/SNF activity, suggesting that they could be viable drug targets. He is utilizing novel microscopy techniques to probe the mechanism of SWI/SNF-mediated chromatin remodeling and determine the effects of oncogenic mutations on this reaction. Understanding their mechanism of action is a key step towards developing new therapeutics.