Welcome to the Functional Gene Control Group

We study the logic of gene regulation using a combination of experimental and computational approaches. Our favourite experimental models are human primary and stem cells.

WHAT WE DO

We are interested in how genomic and epigenetic information is integrated with extrinsic signals to promote concerted changes in gene expression.

We aim to decipher the ground rules of gene regulation and establish their functional interplay in biological phenomena involving global changes in phenotype, such as in cell differentiation and activation. Our current focus is on the role of non-coding DNA elements such as enhancers in integrating and transmitting gene regulatory information.

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THE GROUP

Dr Mikhail Spivakov started the group in 2012. Initially based in Cambridge, we moved to our current home at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences in 2018.

At the beginning, the group was fully computational. We expanded into the wet lab after our move to London. Currently, most group members carry out both ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ research.

Located in West London, the MRC LMS is a fantastic place to do basic research with clinical implications. MRC LMS is affiliated with Imperial College’s Faculty of Medicine and is based on the Hammersmith Hospital campus, opening up many exciting opportunities for collaborations across disciplines.

We care about our people as much as we do about our science, and strive to maintain a stimulating, collaborative and supportive interdisciplinary environment.

GROUP LEADER

Mikhail Spivakov

Mikhail Spivakov graduated from Department of Biology at Moscow State University in 2002 and moved to London to do a PhD with Amanda Fisher and Matthias Merkenschlager at MRC Clinical Sciences Centre (Imperial College). His PhD projects investigated chromatin events underlying cell differentiation, and about half of his work was ‘wet-lab’ and half computational.

Mikhail then joined EMBL on an Interdisciplinary Fellowship to work with Ewan Birney (EMBL-EBI, near Cambridge) and Eileen Furlong (EMBL Heidelberg) on the regulatory organisation of cardiac enhancers. At EMBL, he also contributed to the ENCODE project, studying the population genetics of transcription factor binding sites. In addition, Mikhail has been involved in the establishment of a population genomics resource in medaka fish.

Mikhail’s group was based at Babraham Institute since 2012 and moved to MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (MRC LMS) in 2018. Mikhail was promoted to Programme Leader with tenure in 2024.

Mikhail also holds an Honorary Senior Lecturer appointment at Imperial College Faculty of Medicine.

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