Pernette Verschure appointed professor by special appointment of Functional Dynamics of the Epigenome

Pernette Verschure has been appointed professor by special appointment of Functional Dynamics of the Epigenome at the UvA's Faculty of Medicine (UvA-Amsterdam UMC) as of 1 July 2021. The research of Verschure focuses on the dynamics and variability of epigenetic regulation. The epigenome determines which genes are active in which tissues at what time - something the body regulates by, for example, packaging or opening the structure of genes. Which genes are packaged or accessible differs per tissue type, but can also change due to external influences, such as diet and lifestyle. The epigenetic composition of the genome steers the folding of DNA in the cell nucleus and regulates which parts of the DNA are easily accessible and which remain more packaged. 'The epigenome plays an important role in creating and maintaining cell identity. All contain the same genetic material, but during embryonic development each cell matures into a specific cell type - such as a skin cell or muscle cell for example.