The integrity of the genome is continuously challenged by both exogenous and endogenous DNA damaging agents that induce a wide range of lesions in DNA, such as double strand breaks, single strand breaks and thymidine dimmers. To cope with such deleterious effects of DNA damage, cells employ a variety of repair processes that specifically recognize different types of lesions in DNA. These repair systems are essential for the maintenance of genomic integrity and for cancer prevention. The overall goal of my laboratory is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying genome instability and tumorigenesis.