Kaas, Garrett, Department of Pharmacology

Garrett Kaas, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
476 RRB 6600
205-975-3082
garrett.kaas@vanderbilt.edu

Currently my work in the Sweatt lab revolves around two main projects. The first involves the investigation of two recently discovered Tet1 isoforms (Zhang et al. 2016) and their roles in regulating the neuronal epigenome. Using a wide-variety of approaches, including genetic, epigenetic, electrophysiological and NGS methodologies, we hope to gain a better understanding of their functions within the mammalian nervous system.

My other focus lies in the generation and optimization of genetic tools designed to manipulate DNA methylation patterns, both genome-wide and at the level of individual loci.  As another layer of specificity, these tools are being developed to allow to experimenter both temporospatial and cell type-specific control over the introduction or removal of these epigenetic marks. With these tools, we hope to explore the dynamic nature, specificity and function of both 5-methylcytosine and its oxidized derivatives, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-formylcytosine and 5- carboxylcytosine, in the CNS.