Christopher Vakoc
Professor
Cancer Center Program Co-Leader
Alan and Edith Seligson Professor of Cancer Research
M.D., Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 2007
vakoc@cshl.edu | 516-367-5045
Cancer cells achieve their pathogenicity by changing which genes are on and off. To maintain these changes in gene expression, cancer cells rely on proteins that interact with DNA or modify chromatin. My group investigates how such factors sustain the aberrant capabilities of cancer cells, thereby identifying new therapeutic targets.
Cancer can be understood as a disease of dysfunctional gene expression control. Research in Chris Vakoc’s lab investigates how transcription factors and chromatin regulators cooperate to control gene expression and maintain the cancer cell state. This work makes extensive use of genetic screens to reveal cancer-specific functions for transcriptional regulators, as well as genomic and biochemical approaches to identify molecular mechanisms. One theme that has emerged from their efforts is that blood cancers are often vulnerable to targeting transcriptional coactivators, such as BRD4 and the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex. Vakoc’s team demonstrated that chemical inhibition of BRD4 exhibits therapeutic effects in mouse models of leukemia, a finding that has motivated ongoing clinical trials in human leukemia patients. The Vakoc lab has also developed a CRISPR-Cas9 screening approach that can reveal individual protein domains that sustain cancer cells. Their lab is now deploying this technology in a diverse array of human cancers to reveal therapeutic opportunities and basic mechanisms of cancer gene control.
Vakoc wins Paul Marks Prize for cancer research
AACR Outstanding Achievement in Cancer Research Award
Forbeck Scholar Award
"V Scholar" by The V Foundation for Cancer Research
Burroughs Welcome Fund Career Award for Medical Scientists
Pershing Square Sohn Prize
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Scholar Award
Christina Renna Foundation raises $30K for sarcoma research
February 2, 2023
The generous gift supports CSHL’s Sarcoma Research Project and Professor Christopher Vakoc’s ongoing rhabdomyosarcoma research.
Stopping a rare childhood cancer in its tracks
January 19, 2023
CSHL scientists have discovered that shutting down the ETV6 protein in Ewing sarcoma cells can dramatically slow their growth.
The Vakoc lab receives support for sarcoma research
November 30, 2022
CSHL's Dr. Chris Vakoc and his lab received support from the Michelle Paternoster Foundation and Clark Gillies Foundation for their sarcoma research,
CSHL professors on the cutting edge of scientific research
November 21, 2022
Four CSHL researchers were ranked among the world’s most cited in 2022.
Friends of T.J. Foundation donates $50,000 to CSHL
November 10, 2022
Friends of T.J. Foundation donate $50,000 to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory to support Dr. Chris Vakoc's rhabdomyosarcoma research.
Tree lighting for pediatric cancer awareness
September 30, 2022
CSHL researchers and local donors came together for the first annual tree lighting ceremony to commemorate Pediatric Cancer Research Awareness Month.
Tree lighting for pediatric cancer awareness
September 19, 2022
The first annual tree lighting ceremony was held at CSHL to commemorate September as Pediatric Cancer Research Awareness Month.
Getting tough on tuft cell lung cancer
June 22, 2022
Tuft cells in the lungs can turn into cancer. CSHL scientists have found a way to get in the way of tuft cell development.
President’s essay: Foundations for the future
May 25, 2022
Strategically designed to spark scientific exchange and inspiration, CSHL is a unique research and education environment for advancing science.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2022 Ph.D.’s
May 1, 2022
The School of Biological Sciences awarded Ph.D. degrees to ten students this year. Here are some stories and memories from their time at CSHL.
All Publications
ETV6 dependency in Ewing sarcoma by antagonism of EWS-FLI1-mediated enhancer activation
19 Jan 2023 | Nature Cell Biology
Gao, Yuan, He, Xue-Yan, Wu, Xiaoli, Huang, Yu-Han, Toneyan, Shushan, Ha, Taehoon, Ipsaro, Jonathan, Koo, Peter, Joshua-Tor, Leemor, Bailey, Kelly, Egeblad, Mikala, Vakoc, Christopher
BRD8 maintains glioblastoma by epigenetic reprogramming of the p53 network
21 Dec 2022 | Nature
Sun, Xueqin, Klingbeil, Olaf, Lu, Bin, Wu, Caizhi, Ballon, Carlos, Ouyang, Meng, Wu, Xiaoli, Jin, Ying, Hwangbo, Yon, Huang, Yu-Han, Somerville, Tim, Chang, Kenneth, Park, Jung, Chung, Taemoon, Lyons, Scott, Shi, Junwei, Vogel, Hannes, Schulder, Michael, Vakoc, Christopher, Mills, Alea
Epigenome programing by H3.3K27M mutation creates a dependence of pediatric glioma on SMARCA4
28 Oct 2022 | Cancer Discovery | :CD-21
Mo, Yan, Duan, Shoufu, Zhang, Xu, Hua, Xu, Zhou, Hui, Wei, Hong-Jian, Watanabe, Jun, McQuillan, Nicholas, Su, Zhenyi, Gu, Wei, Wu, Cheng-Chia, Vakoc, Christopher, Hashizume, Rintaro, Chang, Kenneth, Zhang, Zhiguo
Sirtuin 6 maintains epithelial STAT6 activity to support intestinal tuft cell development and type 2 immunity
3 Sep 2022 | Nature Communications | 13(1):5192
Xiong, Xiwen, Yang, Chenyan, He, Wei-Qi, Yu, Jiahui, Xin, Yue, Zhang, Xinge, Huang, Rong, Ma, Honghui, Xu, Shaofang, Li, Zun, Ma, Jie, Xu, Lin, Wang, Qunyi, Ren, Kaiqun, Wu, Xiaoli, Vakoc, Christopher, Zhong, Jiateng, Zhong, Genshen, Zhu, Xiaofei, Song, Yu, Ruan, Hai-Bin, Wang, Qingzhi
Endogenous DOPA inhibits melanoma through suppression of CHRM1 signaling
2 Sep 2022 | Science Advances | 8(35):eabn4007
Doepner, Miriam, Lee, Inyoung, Natale, Christopher, Brathwaite, Roderick, Venkat, Swati, Kim, Sung, Wei, Yiliang, Vakoc, Christopher, Capell, Brian, Katzenellenbogen, John, Katzenellenbogen, Benita, Feigin, Michael, Ridky, Todd
FoxA1 and FoxA2 control growth and cellular identity in NKX2-1-positive lung adenocarcinoma
5 Jul 2022 | Developmental Cell
Orstad, Grace, Fort, Gabriela, Parnell, Timothy, Jones, Alex, Stubben, Chris, Lohman, Brian, Gillis, Katherine, Orellana, Walter, Tariq, Rushmeen, Klingbeil, Olaf, Kaestner, Klaus, Vakoc, Christopher, Spike, Benjamin, Snyder, Eric
OCA-T1 and OCA-T2 are coactivators of POU2F3 in the tuft cell lineage
16 May 2022 | Nature
Wu, Xiaoli, He, Xue-Yan, Ipsaro, Jonathan, Huang, Yu-Han, Preall, Jonathan, Ng, David, Shue, Yan, Sage, Julien, Egeblad, Mikala, Joshua-Tor, Leemor, Vakoc, Christopher
Comparative optimization of combinatorial CRISPR screens
5 May 2022 | Nature Communications | 13(1):2469
Li, Ruitong, Klingbeil, Olaf, Monducci, Davide, Young, Michael, Rodriguez, Diego, Bayyat, Zaid, Dempster, Joshua, Kesar, Devishi, Yang, Xiaoping, Zamanighomi, Mahdi, Vakoc, Christopher, Ito, Takahiro, Sellers, William
SMARCA4 biology in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma
29 Jan 2022 | Oncogene
Bharathy, Narendra, Cleary, Megan, Kim, Jin-Ah, Nagamori, Kiyo, Crawford, Kenneth, Wang, Eric, Saha, Debarya, Settelmeyer, Teagan, Purohit, Reshma, Skopelitis, Damianos, Chang, Kenneth, Doran, Jessica, Kirschbaum, C, Bharathy, Suriya, Crews, Davis, Randolph, Matthew, Karnezis, Anthony, Hudson-Price, Lisa, Dhawan, Jyotsna, Michalek, Joel, Ciulli, Alessio, Vakoc, Christopher, Keller, Charles
SCP4-STK35/PDIK1L complex is a dual phospho-catalytic signaling dependency in acute myeloid leukemia
11 Jan 2022 | Cell Reports | 38(2):110233
Polyanskaya, Sofya, Moreno, Rosamaria, Lu, Bin, Feng, Ruopeng, Yao, Yu, Irani, Seema, Klingbeil, Olaf, Yang, Zhaolin, Wei, Yiliang, Demerdash, Osama, Benjamin, Lukas, Weiss, Mitchell, Zhang, Yan, Vakoc, Christopher