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 biomarkers of disease.

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.

Lab News

AAAS Announcement

MAR 26, 2026

Research AWARD

MAR 12, 2026

NEW PUBLICATION

FEB 17, 2026

NEW GRANT AWARD

OCT 25, 2025

Congratulations to Kathy for her election as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science !

Congratulations to Daniel Wilentz for his Program for Research in Science and Engineering (PRISE) award from Harvard University to join our lab this summer!

Congratulations to Dicky for his comparative genomics study - out today in Cell Genomics!

And highlighted here, at Nature Genetics.

Congratulations to Carlie for her new grant award from the Friends of Dana-Farber and the Louise & Howard Freedman Fund for Pancreatic Cancer!

440 Brookline Ave

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

Burns Lab for Research on Repetitive DNAs and ​Transposable Elements