Harvard University · BiologyThe Metabolic Sirtuin Lab
Marcia Haigis · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Research Focus
Dr. Marcia Haigis's lab at Harvard Medical School focuses on understanding how cellular metabolism drives the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). The research particularly investigates the role of a protein family called sirtuins, specifically SIRT4, in regulating metabolic changes associated with cancer and chemotherapy resistance. By exploring how SIRT4 influences cell growth and survival through metabolic pathways, the lab aims to pave the way for new and effective cancer therapies.
Sirtuinscolorectal cancermetabolismchemotherapy resistancecell proliferationnucleotide biosynthesis
Research Aims
5AIM 01Examine the mechanism by which SIRT4-mediated metabolic reprogramming increases cell proliferation.
AIM 02Investigate the role of metabolic by-products downstream of SIRT4 activity.
AIM 03Assess the consequences of SIRT4 loss on CRC metabolism in physiological models.
AIM 04Utilize genetically engineered mouse models to explore SIRT4's role in chemotherapy resistance.
AIM 05Map metabolic changes in CRC at a single cell level.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsimmunohistochemistrybiochemical assaysorganoid modelingpatient-derived xenograftsgenetic engineeringmass spectrometrydata analysis with statistical software
Output against the department
Publications293top 19% of dept.201st of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations35ktop 9% of dept.88th of 1,033
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.