At CSHL Epigenetics meeting enjoying traditional Persian meal break with present and former lab members! Hope the lab members in Chicago are working very hard 😀 @NU_BMG_SQE @NUFeinbergMed @CSHL @cshlmeetings #cshl

We’ve been trying to crack locus-specific control of transcriptional regulation and the role of Pol II pause/release and transcriptional elongation control for years. Now, a new postdoctoral fellow in the lab, David Lowe, may have identified an exciting path forward. His analysis offers a provocative new way to think about how the extraordinary complexity and plasticity of human transcription can be regulated at specific genes and loci. Take a look at his work, and keep an eye out for his next few papers. I think they may change how we think about gene- and locus-specific transcriptional regulation @NU_BMG_SQE @MolecularCell @CellPressNews @ScienceMagazine @Nature @NatureGenet @theNASciences @NUFeinbergMed cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=…

How do TATA-less promoters recruit TFIID—and why does it matter for BET-targeted therapeutics? A groundbreaking study by Northwestern University School of Medicine Fienberg Fellow Dr. Bin Zheng reveals a distinct and essential role for BRD2 in transcriptional control. cell.com/molecular-cell/full… The work shows that BRD2 bromodomains selectively bind MOF-mediated H4K16ac, while its C-terminus recruits TFIID to initiate transcription at promoters and enhancers. In contrast, BRD4 primarily regulates transcriptional elongation in a BET-domain–independent manner. These findings redefine functional specificity within the BET family, demonstrating that BRD2 and BRD4 act at different transcriptional steps and that their BET domains are not interchangeable. Congratulations to Bin on this exceptional body of work, which uncovers key limitations of BET inhibitor–based therapies and significantly advances BET family–targeted therapeutic strategies. @NU_BMG_SQE @NUFeinbergMed @theNASciences @CellPressNews @MolecularCell @ScienceMagazine @Nature @NatureGenet @pfizer @JNJNews @Merck @EliLillyandCo @abbvie @Amgen @biogen @Novartis @AstraZeneca

A year of great discoveries deserves an outstanding celebration 🧪🎉 Lucky to work with such a fantastic group of colleagues in the Shilatifard’s laboratory @NU_BMG_SQE @NUFeinbergMed @NorthwesternU

Happy Thanksgiving from the Shilatifard Lab! We are deeply grateful for all of our blessings — not only the scientific discoveries we pursue, but the incredible people who make our work and world meaningful every day. Wishing everyone a joyful, restful and blessed holiday! @NU_BMG_SQE #Thanksgiving

Congratulations Dr. Talucci @IvanTalucci for finishing up your successful PhD from Julius Maximilian University in Wuerzburg @Uni_WUE section Biomedicine and joining our team as a postdoctoral fellow! The best is yet to be! @NU_BMG_SQE @NUFeinbergMed @NorthwesternU

We are delighted to celebrate the election of our esteemed colleague, Dr. Joe Bass, @JoeBass91471540 to the @theNAMedicine. This honor recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, and his pioneering research elucidating the critical links between the body’s circadian rhythms and metabolic regulation. Dr. Bass’s groundbreaking work has revealed how disruptions in the circadian system contribute to metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. This election represents a well-deserved and long-overdue recognition of Dr. Bass’s exceptional scientific achievements and his profound impact on the field. Congratulations, Joe, on this remarkable and richly merited honor. @NU_BMG_SQE @NUFeinbergMed @theNASciences

Congratulations to my colleague & friend from the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Genetics, Dr. Issam Ben-Sahra, @bensahralab on being honored with the Thomas D. Spies Professor of Genetic Metabolism endowed professorship at @NUFeinbergMed. This is a well-deserved recognition of your outstanding contributions & leadership in the field of metabolism. I am truly proud of you and the entire Ben-Sahra Lab. Wishing you continued success — the best is yet to be! @NU_BMG_SQE @theNASciences @CellReports @ScienceMagazine @Nature