Developmental Biology Program

The Eric Lai Lab

Research

Eric C. Lai, PhD
Eric C. Lai, PhD


Professor

As a laboratory of developmental biology, our guiding interest is to comprehend how complex biological patterns can be assembled with stereotyped precision. This requires a detailed understanding of how cells come to execute appropriate behaviors — be it adoption of specific cell fates, proliferation, or apoptosis — and do so at the right times, in the right places, and in the right numbers. Dysfunction of processes that direct normal tissue patterning results not only in developmental disorder but also underlies adult disease. Tellingly, many factors whose mutation is relevant to human cancer were first identified and characterized with respect to development in model organisms. To study these topics, we utilize integrative approaches, combining genetics, biochemistry, and genomewide approaches, to elucidate detailed molecular mechanisms and use these to understand in vivo biology as well as decipher genomic regulatory networks.

Research Projects

The Eric Lai Lab

Publications Highlights

Zhang B, Duan H, Kavaler J, Wei L, Eberl DF and Lai EC (2023). A nonneural miRNA cluster mediates hearing via repression of two neural targets. Genes & development 37, Cover Article.

Lee S, Jee D, Srivastava S, Yang A, Ramidi A, Shang R, Bortolamiol-Becet D, Pfeffer S, Gu S, Wen J and Lai EC (2023). Promiscuous splicing-derived hairpins are dominant substrates of tailing-mediated defense of miRNA biogenesis in mammals. Cell Reports 42.

Shang R, Lee S, Senavirathne G and Lai EC (2023). microRNAs in action: biogenesis, function and regulation. Nature Reviews Genetics 24.

Vedanayagam J, Herbette M, Mudgett H, Lin CJ, Lai CM, McDonough-Goldstein C, Dorus S, Loppin B, Meiklejohn C, Dubruille R and Lai EC (2023). Essential and recurrent roles for hairpin RNAs in silencing de novo sex chromosome conflict in Drosophila simulans. PLoS Biology 21(6).

Zheng L, Liu J, Niu L, Kamran M, Yang A, Jolma A, Dai Q, Hughes TR, Patel DJ, Zhang L, Prasanth SG, Yu Y, Ren A and Lai EC (2022). Distinct structural bases for sequence-specific DNA binding by mammalian BEN domain proteins.Genes & Development 36.

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People

Eric C. Lai, PhD

Eric C. Lai, PhD



Professor

  • The Lai laboratory integrates genetics, biochemistry, and genomewide approaches to study diverse regulatory networks during patterning and behavior.
  • BA, Harvard College
  • PhD, University of California, San Diego
[email protected]
Email Address
212-639-5578
Office Phone
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PDF File

Members

Danica Clarke

Administrative Assistant I

Daniel Guzman Gundermann

Research Scholar

Taiya Jarva

Research Technician

David Jee

Research Fellow

Lijuan Kan
Lijuan Kan

Senior Research Scientist

Seungjae Lee
Seungjae Lee

Research Scholar - NYSTEM Training Award at the CSCB

David Morales Vicente

Research Scholar

Gayan Senavirathne

Senior Research Scientist

Garima Setia

Research Technician

Renfu  Shang
Renfu Shang

Research Associate

Binglong Zhang
Binglong Zhang

Research Associate

Lab Alumni
Joseph Aubee

Research Scholar

Daniel Lopez Garaulet
Daniel Lopez Garaulet

Research Associate

Anthony Guerrero

Research Technician

Himari Gunasinghe

Research Technician

David Jee
David Jee

Graduate Student

Pictured: Brian J. Joseph
Brian J. Joseph

Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University, New York, NY

Yeonsoo Kum

Research Technician

Chun-Ming Lai
Chun-Ming Lai

Research Scholar

Gillian Ching-Jung Lin
Gillian Ching-Jung Lin

Graduate Student

Sonali Majumdar
Sonali Majumdar

Research Scholar

Albertomaria Moro
Albertomaria Moro

Research Associate

Sirus Mrazik

Research Technician

Ashley  Ramos
Ashley Ramos

Administrative Assistant I

Silvia Rodriguez
Silvia Rodriguez

Fly Facility Aide, Lead

Bidisha Roy
Bidisha Roy

Research Fellow

Piero Sanfilippo, BA
Piero Sanfilippo

Graduate Student

Chaz Scala
Chaz Scala

Research Technician

Eun sil Park
Eun sil Park

Research Scholar

Alexander Stein

Research Technician

Jeffrey Vendanayagam
Jeffrey Vendanayagam

Research Associate

Lu  Wei
Lu Wei

Research Fellow

Josephine Wong

Administrative Assistant I

Yang Yu
Yang Yu

Research Fellow

Yu-ting Chou

Research Technician

Joshua Hagen

MD-PhD Student

Hong Duan

Senior Research Scientist

Peter Smibert

Research Fellow

Jr-Shiuan Yang

Graduate Student

Kailiang Sun
Michael Phillips
Fernando Bejarano
Zhigang Jin
Nicolas Robine
Qi Dai
Alex Flynt

Research Fellow

Katsutomo Okamura

Research Fellow

Jacqueline Sanchez-Shabazz

Administrative Assistant

Lab Affiliations

Achievements

  • Louise and Allston Boyer Young Investigator Award for Basic Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (2009)
  • Kimmel Scholar, Sidney Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research (2007-2009)
  • V Scholar, V Foundation for Cancer Research (2006-2008)
  • Career Award in the Biomedical Sciences, Burroughs Wellcome Fund (2005)
  • Special Fellow, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (2004-2006)
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  • Fellow, Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (2000-2003)
  • First elucidation of the major basis of miRNA-target recognition
  • Discovery of novel transcription and signaling and factors that regulate neural development

Open Positions

To learn more about available postdoctoral opportunities, please visit our Career Center

To learn more about compensation and benefits for postdoctoral researchers at MSK, please visit Resources for Postdocs

Career Opportunities

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Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

Eric C. Lai discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

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This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

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