Our goal is to understand the molecular basis for normal organogenesis, and how genetic and epigenomic alterations in these processes cause human disease, towards the development of novel therapeutics.
Our focus has been on discovering key regulatory genes that specify cell fate, direct cell differentiation, and drive morphogenesis for several organ systems, including the hematopoietic system, the cardiovascular system, and the gastrointestinal system. We probe genetic and epigenomic regulatory networks that are implicated in normal development to understand how these, when deregulated, can cause human congenital and acquired disease including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. Regarding hematopoiesis and vascular development, we have studied the BMP, WNT, FGF, and S1P signaling pathways for regulating stem and progenitor cell biology. With respect to the cardiovascular system, we discovered functions for three related transcriptional regulatory genes (GATA4, GATA5, and GATA6) during embryogenesis and in maintaining homeostasis of the adult cardiovascular and gut-derived systems. A third major area of research is the epigenomic control of developmental programs by DNA methylation (by AID, TET, and QSER1 proteins).
Dr. Evans earned his BA at Northwestern University and his PhD at Columbia University. As a postdoctoral fellow at the NIH he discovered a critical gene (Gata1) that controls red blood cell development. He was appointed in 1990 as an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh, followed by a move to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1995, where he became a tenured Professor and served as the Dean of the Graduate Program. Dr. Evans was recruited to WCM in 2009 to establish a new Research Division and the Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Surgery.
Affiliations
Department of Surgery
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
Center for Genomic Health
WCM Cardiovascular Research Institute
Ansary Stem Cell Institute
Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medicine (BCMB and PBSB programs)
Job Opportunities
Our group consists of a diverse group of trainees from high school, college, graduate school, medical school, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, in addition to techincal and administrative staff. Feel free to contact Dr. Evans directly if you are interested in our work.