Dr. Shelley L. Berger stands as a preeminent leader in epigenetics and chromatin biology, holding the distinguished position of Daniel S. Och University Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She maintains dual appointments in the Perelman School of Medicine's Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and the School of Arts & Sciences, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach that bridges multiple scientific domains. After earning her PhD in Cell & Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan in 1987, she established herself as a pioneering researcher in genomic regulation mechanisms. Dr. Berger joined the University of Pennsylvania faculty in 2009, where she founded and currently directs the Epigenetics Institute, creating a world-class center that integrates research across medicine, arts and sciences, engineering, and veterinary science while attracting collaboration from six regional hospitals and research institutions.
Dr. Berger's groundbreaking research has fundamentally advanced our understanding of epigenetic mechanisms through her innovative work on chromatin structure and function in genomic regulation. She has made seminal contributions by discovering novel chromatin and factor modifications and elucidating their mechanisms of action in biological processes ranging from gametogenesis and viral latency to aging, behavior, and cancer. Her laboratory's work has provided crucial insights into how physical changes in chromatin impact cellular function in both normal and disease states, particularly in cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, and aging processes. With over 150 publications in premier journals including Cell, Nature, and Biochemistry, her research has established new paradigms for understanding how epigenetic modifications influence disease progression and has identified potential therapeutic targets for previously intractable conditions.
Beyond her research achievements, Dr. Berger has been instrumental in shaping the global epigenetics community through her leadership as co-director of the Tumor Biology Program at Penn Medicine's Abramson Cancer Center and her commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists. She has received numerous prestigious honors including election to the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as the Ellison Foundation Senior Scholar Award in Aging and the 2025 AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship. Dr. Berger has mentored dozens of trainees who have gone on to successful careers in academia, industry, and scientific writing, with her current laboratory comprising twenty diverse researchers including undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Her ongoing research continues to explore the role of epigenetic modifications in disease progression, with particular focus on developing novel mechanistic insights that could lead to transformative therapeutic approaches for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
