Seminar Abstract: DNA methylation is a key epigenetic mark that safeguards genome integrity and ensures precise control of gene expression. It is intricately connected to other layers of gene regulation, and among the emerging regulators are non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which actively shape methylation landscapes and influence transcriptional outcomes.

This talk will explore how ncRNAs communicate with DNA methylation machinery to maintain epigenomic stability and how disruption of this balance can drive disease processes, including cancer. I will present recent insights from our studies integrating molecular and computational approaches, revealing how ncRNA–DNA methylation interactions regulate gene activity, RNA fate, and genome organisation. Understanding this interplay provides a powerful framework for predicting cellular behaviour and opens new avenues for developing ncRNA-based biomarkers and therapeutic strategies in cancer medicine.

Biosketch: Dr Aditi Kanhere (AK) is a molecular biologist and bioinformatician with over 20 years of experience in the study of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and transcriptional regulation. Her research focuses on understanding how ncRNAs influence the epigenome and gene expression, with applications in cancer medicine, ageing, and regenerative biology.

Her work, cited over 2,000 times, has established an international reputation for uncovering RNA-mediated mechanisms of gene regulation. Early in her career, she demonstrated how RNAs can modulate the epigenome in immune cells, providing a foundation for later discoveries on their roles in embryonic development and oncogenesis. Her publications include papers in EMBO Journal, Genome Research, and Trends in Genetics.

Dr Kanhere leads a cross-disciplinary laboratory combining molecular biology, transcriptomics, and computational biology to investigate ncRNA mechanisms and develop translational applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. She collaborates widely on projects exploring ncRNA roles in drug sensitivity, metabolism, haemato-oncology, and solid tumours, and has contributed to several international research consortia pursuing technologically ambitious approaches. She has extensive expertise in next-generation sequencing and transcriptomics and has supervised over ten PhD students and trained numerous fellows who have gone on to successful research careers.