Menu Close

Joaquin Espinosa

Our main research goal is to understand how gene networks control cell behavior in homeostasis and human disease. Our two main focus areas are cancer biology and Down syndrome.

We are a multidimensional team of biologists employing a wide range of approaches from biochemistry to functional genomics.

A long-term goal of our research is to decrease the unacceptable amount of death and sorrow caused by cancer. Nonetheless, our discoveries often lead us into other areas of biomedical research or into more fundamental biological problems without immediate clinical applications.

We understand cancer as a genetic disease caused by mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. We believe that understanding the mechanism of action of these cancer genes will reveal strategies to reduce the burden of cancer in our society.

We abhor the use of poisonous chemotherapy and radiation to treat patients. We consider Personalized Precision Medicine employing Molecular Diagnostics and Biologically Targeted Therapies to be the only viable path toward a cure.

We employ biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, animal models and art to investigate cancer genes. Our studies aim to produce discoveries that could be employed in the clinic for better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Another major area of research in our lab is trisomy 21 and Down syndrome. Supported by the Linda Crnic Institute for Down syndrome, our research aims to elucidate the impacts of trisomy 21 at the molecular, cellular and organismal levels. More specifically, we aim to define the mechanisms by which trisomy 21 causes a different disease spectrum in the population with Down syndrome, protecting from some conditions (e.g. solid tumors, hypertension), while predisposing to others (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune disorders, autism).

To learn more about our science, please read visit our lab website www.espinosalab.org​

Experience

  • –present
    Professor of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus