Mentor: Dr. Kyle Walsh

Using pre-treatment blood-derived DNA, we have generated epigenome-wide methylation data for 120 childhood astrocytoma patients and 97 medulloblastoma patients using the Illumina EPIC array. We are also in the process of generating such data for 85 childhood ependymoma patients. We will compare epigenetic profiles to determine the contribution of methylation differences to subtype-specific risk of childhood brain tumors. Because in utero exposure to maternal smoking, maternal alcohol consumption, mercury, and common vertically-transmitted pathogens (e.g. CMV) create specific and reproducible changes in DNA methylation, we can leverage these epigenetic marks to infer past exposure history. By better understanding the relationship between environmental exposures and epigenetic susceptibility to childhood brain tumors, our study can help to reveal modifiable risk factors underlying childhood cancer development.