A major focus of the Doble lab's research is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms through which the Wnt/β-catenin-associated TCF/LEF transcription factors regulate stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Lab members are differentiating pluripotent stem cells by using approaches that model gastrulation-like events in vitro to investigate mechanisms underlying the context-specific deployment of unique subsets of TCF/LEF isoforms.

Although the Wnt subtype of medulloblastoma (a malignant childhood brain cancer) has the best prognosis, attempts at de-escalating standard therapies have been unsuccessful. We are studying the Wnt subtype of medulloblastoma with the goal of identifying targeted therapies that will yield improved long-term clinical outcomes.