Villar Lab
Our research focuses on cardiovascular epigenomics and gene regulation, its interplay with genetic variation, and the role of associated molecular mechanisms in disease susceptibility. Methodologically, we integrate experimental and computational approaches spanning comparative functional genomics, cell biology, and (epi)genetic perturbations across ex vivo, in vitro and in vivo models.
Selected Publications
Parey E, Fernandez-Aroca D, Frost D, Uribarren A, Park TJ, Zöttl M, Smith ESJ, Berthelot B, Villar D (2023) "Phylogenetic modeling of enhancer shifts in African mole-rats reveals regulatory changes associated with tissue-specific traits", Genome Research, 33:1513-26 (PMID: 37625847)
Haghani A, Li CZ, Robeck TR, Zhang J, […], Villar D, Vinters HV, Vu H, Wallingford MC, Wang N, Wilkinson GS, Williams RW, Yan Q, Yao M, Young BG, Zhang B, Zhang Z, Zhao Y, Zhao P, Zhou W, Zoller JA, Ernst J, Seluanov A, Gorbunova V, Yang XW, Raj K, Horvath S (2023) "DNA methylation networks underlying mammalian traits", Science, 381:eabq5693 (PMID: 37561875)
Fernandez-Aroca DM, Garcia-Flores N, Frost S, Jimenez-Suarez J, Rodriguez-Gonzalez A, Fernandez-Aroca P, Sabater S, Andres I, Garnes-García C, Belandia B, Cimas FJ, Villar D, Ruiz-Hidalgo MJ, Sánchez-Prieto R (2022) "MAPK11 (p38β) is a major determinant of cellular radiosensitivity by controlling ionizing radiation-associated senescence: An in vitro study", Clinical and Translational Radiation Oncology, 41:100649 (PMID: 37346275)
Roller M, Stamper E, Villar D, Izuogu O, Martin F, Redmond AM, Ramachanderan R, Harewood L, Odom DT, Flicek P (2021) "LINE retrotransposons characterize mammalian tissue-specific and evolutionarily dynamic regulatory regions", Genome Biology, 22:62 (PMID: 33602314)
Villar D, Frost S, Deloukas P, Tinker A (2020) "The contribution of non-coding regulatory elements to cardiovascular disease", Open Biology, 10:200088 (PMID: 32603637)
Villar D, Berthelot C, Aldridge S, Rayner TF, Lukk M, Pignatelli M, Park TJ, Deaville R, Erichsen JT, Jasinska AJ, Turner JMA, Bertelsen MF, Murchison EP, Flicek P, Odom DT (2015) "Enhancer Evolution across 20 Mammalian Species", Cell, 160:554–66 (PMID: 25635462)Group Members
Dr. Stephanie FrostDr. Diego Fernandez-Aroca
Adrian Rodriguez-Gonzalez
Georgios Tikkas
