Xaralabos G. Varelas, PhD
Professor, Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Biography
Research in the Varelas lab is focused on gaining insight into the molecular mechanisms by which cell fate is coordinated with cell proliferation and survival during animal development and disease. The lab is particularly interested in understanding the roles and regulation of the transcriptional regulators YAP and TAZ (YAP/TAZ), which are key effectors of the Hippo signaling pathway.
YAP/TAZ integrate cell polarity and mechanical cues with information relayed by growth factors and chemicals to direct essential processes and maintain organ homeostasis. The lab is incorporating genetic and biochemical approaches to define how YAP/TAZ control developmental events, and how dysregulation of YAP/TAZ activity contributes the etiology of various diseases, such as cancer.
Other Positions
- Member, BU-BMC Cancer Center, Boston University
- Member, Pulmonary Center, Boston University
- Member, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University
- Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, Boston University
- Member, Genome Science Institute, Boston University
- Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences
Education
- University of Alberta, PhD
- McGill University, BSc
Publications
- Published on 3/5/2025
Burgess CL, Ayers LJ, Minakin K, Alysandratos KD, Varelas X, Kotton DN. Protocol for the differentiation of human alveolar epithelial type I cells from pluripotent stem cell-derived type II-like cells. STAR Protoc. 2025 Mar 05; 6(1):103667. PMID: 40048418.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/25/2025
Berical AC, Kiyokawa H, Beermann ML, Wallman D, Cherfane G, Dunphy V, Pan J, Tilston-Lunel A, Varelas X, Horani A, Brody SL, Kotton DN, Hawkins FJ. Reply to Huang et al.: Sowing Tailored Seeds: Gene-edited Basal Cells for Precision Regulation of Airway Phenotypes. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2025 Feb 25. PMID: 39999444.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/14/2025
Kern JG, Kroehling L, Spinella AJ, Monti S, Varelas X. LATS1/2 inactivation in the mammary epithelium drives the evolution of a tumor-associated niche. EMBO Rep. 2025 Mar; 26(6):1472-1503. PMID: 39953252.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/5/2025
Ning B, Chiu DJ, Pfefferkorn RM, Kefella Y, Kane E, Reyes-Ortiz V, Liu G, Zhang S, Liu H, Sultan L, Green E, Constant M, Spira AE, Campbell JD, Reid ME, Varelas X, Burks EJ, Lenburg ME, Mazzilli SA, Beane JE. Epithelial miR-149-5p up-regulation is associated with immune evasion in progressive bronchial premalignant lesions. bioRxiv. 2025 Feb 05. PMID: 39975222.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/17/2024
Lawton ML, Inge MM, Blum BC, Smith-Mahoney EL, Bolzan D, Lin W, McConney C, Porter J, Moore J, Youssef A, Tharani Y, Varelas X, Denis GV, Wong WW, Padhorny D, Kozakov D, Siggers T, Wuchty S, Snyder-Cappione J, Emili A. Multiomic profiling of chronically activated CD4+ T cells identifies drivers of exhaustion and metabolic reprogramming. PLoS Biol. 2024 Dec; 22(12):e3002943. PMID: 39689157.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/11/2024
Aubert O, Miyake Y, Amonkar GM, Dinwoodie OM, Varisco BM, Marotta M, Zhao C, Wagner R, Chen YW, Moscatello A, Tiozzo C, Varelas X, Lerou PH, Peiro JL, Keijzer R, Ai X. Fetal Tracheal Occlusion Corelates with Normalized YAP Expression and Alveolar Epithelial Differentiation in CDH. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2024 Dec 11. PMID: 39661950.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/8/2024
Berical AC, Kiyokawa H, Beermann ML, Wallman D, Cherfane G, Dunphy V, Pan J, Tilston-Lunel A, Varelas X, Horani A, Brody SL, Kotton DN, Hawkins FJ. Airway Disease Modeling with Gene-edited Human Basal Cell Transplantation. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2024 Nov 08; 211(1):131-4. PMID: 39514838.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/5/2024
Ma L, Thapa BR, Le Suer JA, Tilston-Lünel A, Herriges MJ, Wang F, Bawa PS, Varelas X, Hawkins FJ, Kotton DN. Life-long functional regeneration of in vivo airway epithelium by the engraftment of airway basal stem cells. Nat Protoc. 2025 Mar; 20(3):810-842. PMID: 39501108.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 9/12/2024
Crossey E, Carty S, Shao F, Henao-Vasquez J, Ysasi AB, Zeng M, Hinds A, Lo M, Tilston-Lunel A, Varelas X, Jones MR, Fine A. Influenza induces lung lymphangiogenesis independent of YAP/TAZ activity in lymphatic endothelial cells. Sci Rep. 2024 Sep 12; 14(1):21324. PMID: 39266641.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/27/2024
Raslan AA, Pham TX, Lee J, Kontodimas K, Tilston-Lunel A, Schmottlach J, Hong J, Dinc T, Bujor AM, Caporarello N, Thiriot A, von Andrian UH, Huang SK, Nicosia RF, Trojanowska M, Varelas X, Ligresti G. Lung injury-induced activated endothelial cell states persist in aging-associated progressive fibrosis. Nat Commun. 2024 Jun 27; 15(1):5449. PMID: 38937456.
Read at: PubMed
View 83 more publications: View full profile at BUMC