We are interested in using the prostate as a tissue model to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate development, tissue homeostasis and carcinogenesis. Currently, there are two major research focuses in the lab. The first research focus is to characterize the prostate epithelial lineage hierarchy. We seek to investigate how individual prostate epithelial lineages are maintained in adults by prostate stem cells or progenitors, and to identify master regulators that control adult prostate homeostasis. Cells of origin for tumor can dictate the clinical behaviors of the resulting diseases. Investigating the normal prostate lineage hierarchy serves as a prerequisite to understanding the cells of origin for prostate cancer, which will ultimately help understand the cellular basis for the aggressive prostate cancer. The second focus of the lab is to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation and progression of the prostate related diseases including prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. We are interested in determining the function of genetic changes or altered signaling that are associated with these diseases using genetically engineered mouse models. This work will inspire novel prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for these diseases.