Yilun Sun, Ph.D.
- Center for Cancer Research
- National Cancer Institute
- Building 37, Room 5066
- 37 Convent Dr, Bethesda, MD 20892-4255
- 240-760-6647
- yilun.sun@nih.gov
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Dr. Sun’s research interest is to characterize molecular mechanisms for repairing topoisomerase inhibitor- and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor-induced DNA damage. He has delineated several post-translational modification-regulated mechanisms that resolve topoisomerase DNA-protein crosslinks including pathways regulated by ubiquitylation, SUMOylation, neddylation and ADP-ribosylation. He also investigates proteases and nucleases that repair non-enzymatic/non-specific DNA-protein crosslinks such as those induced by aldehydes. The goal of his research is to target these repair mechanisms to improve tumor response to topoisomerase inhibitors and PARP inhibitors.
Areas of Expertise
Publications
Biography
Yilun Sun, Ph.D.
Dr. Yilun Sun received his Ph.D. degree in Molecular Pharmacology at the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy in 2017. He joined NCI in 2018 as a postdoctoral fellow and then Research Fellow in 2021 under the supervision of Dr. Yves Pommier. He studies topoisomerases, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs), and their cancer relevance. He developed immuno-biochemical assays and single-molecule fluorescence techniques to interrogate the mechanisms by which cancer cells repair topoisomerase- and PARP-mediated DNA lesions. He is a recipient of the NCI K99 Pathway to Independence Award, the NCI CCR Excellence in Postdoctoral Research Transition award (2022), the NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (2022, 2023), and the Scholar-In-Training Award of the American Association of Cancer Research (2021).
