Burns Lab for Research on Repetitive DNAs and Transposable Elements
Much of our genome is repetitive DNA derived from the activity of transposable elements. Our lab is studying how these sequences are controlled, how their expression can damage DNA and affect cancer cell biology, and what opportunities this presents for how we diagnose and treat cancers.
Research Areas
Control of retroelement expression
Studying the epigenetic and post-transcriptional determinants of retroelement expression.
Discovering disease biomarkers and neoantigens.
Somatic mosaicism and chromosomal instability
Investigating the genomic impact of retrotransposition.
​Delineating host DNA repair pathways and that uphold genome integrity in a world of retroelements.
Retroelement contributions to cancer evolution
Deciphering roles retroelements play in oncogenesis, treatment resistance, and immune evasion.
New Publication
August 1, 2026
Congratulations to Carlos and co-authors for their study on LINE-1-mediated genomic rearrangements, out today in Nature Communications!
Research Retreat
June 12, 2026
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the joint DFCI Pathology - Cancer Biology retreat! Dicky spoke on genomic reservoirs of LINE-1 and Wen won a poster prize.
AAAS Announcement
March 26, 2026
Congratulations to Kathy for her election as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science!
New Publication
February 17, 2026
Congratulations to Dicky for his comparative genomics study, out today in Cell Genomics! And highlighted here, at Nature Genetics.
Contact Us
Burns Lab
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
440 Brookline Avenue
Mayer Building Room 641
Boston, MA 02215
Shipping address:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Attn: Lab of Kathleen Burns
Mayer Building Room 644
50 Industrial Drive, Yard 5
Boston, MA 02136
Yard 5 receiving: 617-632-3174
