Matthew P. Miller, PhD

Dr. Miller is investigating how cells ensure the correct partitioning of genetic material during cell division. Errors in this process occur in nearly all tumor cells and are the leading cause of miscarriages and congenital birth defects in humans. The vast majority of solid tumors have incorrectly positioned chromosomes, causing high levels of genomic instability and DNA damage. Very little is known about how chromosome segregation becomes so defective during tumorigenesis. His research is focused on elucidating the mechanisms of both accurate and defective chromosome segregation with the goal of determining whether there are opportunities for development of new cancer therapeutics.