BMB PhD Profile | Johns Hopkins | Bloomberg School of Public Health

Assistant Professor

Department of Oncology
School of Medicine

Research Overview

Our research focus is centered on elucidating the role that transcriptional and epigenetic regulators play in normal and cancer development, and therapeutic response. We are passionate about asking clinically relevant questions and translating basic laboratory findings into therapeutic applications to benefit cancer patients while at the same time providing new insights into the fundamental mechanisms of how epigenetic regulators regulate transcription and dictate cell identity. To achieve these goals, the Toska lab aims to undertake a multidisciplinary approach integrating biochemistry, cell signaling, genomics and epigenomics at bulk and single cell level, organoid technology, and mouse genetics to study the fundamental processes by which epigenetic regulators regulate transcription, cross-talk with signaling pathways, and have the ability to drive transformation and dictate therapeutic response in nuclear receptor-dependent cancers. Our laboratory will be comprised of scientists from different fields who are driven to study epigenetic regulation in normal and cancer development and to identify new therapeutic opportunities.

Topic Areas

Cancer Biology

Cellular Stress and Cell Signaling

Genetics, Genomics, and Gene Regulation

Translational Research

Selected Publications

Blawski R, Vokshi BH, Guo X, Kittane S, Sallaku M, Chen W, Gjyzari M, Cheung T, Zhang Y, Simpkins C, Zhou W, Kulick A, Zhao P, Wei M, Shivashankar P, Prioleau T, Razavi P, Koche R, Rebecca VW, de Stanchina E, Castel P, Chan HM, Scaltriti M, Cocco E, Ji H, Luo M, Toska E. Methylation of the chromatin modifier KMT2D by SMYD2 contributes to therapeutic response in hormone-dependent breast cancer. Cell Reports, 2024.
Ladewig E^†, Flavia M^†, Jhaveri K^†, Castel P, Carmona J, Fairchild L, Zuniga G, Arruabarrena-Aristorena A, Cocco E, Blawski R, Kittane S, Yuhan Z, Sallaku M, Baldino L, Hristidis V, Chandarlapaty S, Abdel-Wahab O, Leslie C*, Scaltriti M*, Toska E*. The Oncogenic PI3K-Induced Transcriptomic Landscape Reveals Key Functions in Splicing and Gene Expression Regulation. Cancer Research, 2022. †Equal contribution, *Corresponding
Arruabarrena-Aristorena A, Maag J, Kittane S, Cai Y, Karthaus W, Park J, Razavi P, Ferrando L, Kannan S, Selenica P, Cocco E, Ho S, Tan D, Sallaku M, Witkin M, Sawyers C, Reis-Filho J, Verma CS, Jauch R, Koche R, Baselga J, Toska E*, Scaltriti M*. FOXA1 mutations reveal distinct chromatin profiles and influences therapeutic response in breast cancer. Cancer Cell, 2020. *Corresponding
Xu G†, Chhangawala S†, Cocco E, Razavi P, Casi Y, Otto J, Ferrando L, Selenica P, Chan C, Ladewig E, Da Cruz Paula A, Witkin M, Cheng Y, Park J, Serna-Tamayo C, Zhao H, Wu F, Sallaku M, Qu X, Zhao A, Collings C, D’Avino AR, Jhavery K, Koche R, Levine RL, Reis-Filho JS, Kadoch C, Scaltriti M, Leslie CS*, Baselga J*, Toska E*. ARID1A determines luminal identity and therapeutic response in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Nature Genetics, 2020. †Equal contribution, *Corresponding
Toska E, Osmanbeyoglu H, Castel P, Chan C, Hendrickson RC, Elkabets M, Dickler M, Scaltriti M, Leslie CS, Armstrong SA, Baselga. PI3K pathway regulates ER-dependent transcription in breast cancer through the epigenetic regulator KMT2D. Science, 2017.

Eneda Toska

Research Overview

Topic Areas

Selected Publications

Learn More