Harvard University · BiochemistryDNA Repair Mechanisms Lab
Joseph J. Loparo · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Joseph J. Loparo's research lab at Harvard Medical School focuses on understanding how cells repair damaged DNA, specifically through a process called non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). This repair mechanism is crucial for maintaining genomic integrity, and understanding it can have implications for cancer treatment and gene therapy. By using advanced imaging techniques, the lab investigates the molecular details of how DNA ends are fixed and how errors can occur during this process, leading to potential diseases.
DNA repairnon-homologous end joiningcancerDNA damagegenome integrity
Research Aims
5AIM 01Elucidate the molecular mechanism of DNA end synapsis
AIM 02Investigate how key factors cooperate to tether DNA ends
AIM 03Understand how end processing enzymes are regulated to minimize mutagenesis
AIM 04Explore the structural dynamics of the NHEJ machinery
AIM 05Assess the implications of NHEJ dysfunction in cancer.
Skills the Lab Values
single-molecule imagingmicroscopyprotein purificationcell culturebiochemical assay development
Output against the department
Publications121bottom 33% of dept.269th of 402
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.2kbottom 39% of dept.247th of 402
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.