Dr. Diaz studies the role of neurodevelopmental programs in malignant gliomas, using computational and systems approaches. By contrasting genetic and epigenetic signatures between the developing human cortex and human brain tumors, Dr. Diaz is elucidating developmental pathways that are aberrantly activated during oncogenesis, promoting tumor growth and self-renewal. The Diaz lab is currently using high-throughput, single-cell assays, coupled with modern techniques from machine learning and data science, to identify therapeutic targets within these critical pathways.