Nuno Morais Lab

Disease Transcriptomics

We apply mostly computational approaches, particularly those involving the analysis of high-throughput genomic and transcriptomic data, to fundamental questions in biomedical research.

We have a long-term interest in the systems-level transcriptional regulation underlying mammalian cell specification, often perturbed in disease. We aim to understand how RNA-level (transcription initiation, splicing, etc) changes in (mostly) human tissues increase proneness to diseases, namely cancer, neurodegenerative disorders and other ageing-related pathologies. We thereby aim to identify molecular targets for functional exploration in vitro and in vivo. We also combine molecular and clinical information for the unveiling of novel candidate prognostic factors and therapeutic targets.

Along the way, we develop some tools for assisting non-computational scientists in their analyses of transcriptomic data.