Protein coding genes account for ~88% of the E. coli genome, while accounting for <2% of the human genome! I am intrigued by the purpose of these noncoding regions that account for the majority of the human genome, in particular long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). I am researching the role lncRNAs play in gene regulation and development, and how their misregulation can lead to disease states, such as cancer. I am taking a structural approach using chemical probing techniques combined with biophysical and cell-based functional assays to gain insight into these lncRNAs. Additionally, I worked on a program to computationally build full atomic RNA structures.