We study gene regulation in development and how gene activity is perturbed in diseases such as cancer. Using a combination of functional genomics, genetics and biochemistry, we study how transcription is influenced by cellular signaling and how gene expression interfaces with chromatin architecture and epigenetic features of the genome. We also use cutting-edge nascent RNA-sequencing methods to investigate the transcription of protein coding mRNAs and non-coding RNA species such as enhancer RNAs.