Welcome to the Joyce Lab

We conduct chromosome dynamics research within the Department of Genetics and Epigenetics Institute at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Our primary goals are to understand how the structure and position of chromosomes within the nucleus is established and inherited across cell divisions, and how dysfunctional organization contributes to genome instability and disease.

Chromosome Folding

The major feature that stands out in the nucleus of all metazoan genomes are the chromosome territories (CTs), which have nonrandom radial positions that are conserved through evolution. We are using our custom Oligopaint FISH probes to identify signatures of chromosome arrangement

SMC Complexes and Disease

Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a developmental disorder characterized by congenital abnormalities, intellectual disability, and multi-system clinical symptoms including congenital heart disease. The disorder typically manifests due to mutations in

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High-throughput FISH-based screening

Although chromosome interactions are a fundamental aspect of nuclear organization little is known about how they are established, regulated, and inherited across cell divisions. To address this gap, we developed a fully automated FISH-based imaging