Email

furqan.fazal@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor and CPRIT Scholar in Cancer Research

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Core Member

Therapeutic Innovation Center (THINC)
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Faculty Member

Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Faculty Member

Chemical, Physical & Structural Biology Graduate Program
Baylor College of Member
Houston, Texas United States

Faculty Member

Cancer & Cell Biology Graduate Program
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Faculty Senate

Baylor College of Medicine

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University School of Medicine

05/2021 - Stanford, CA

PhD from Stanford University

04/2015 - Stanford, CA

MS from Stanford University

09/2010 - Stanford, CA

BA from Amherst College

05/2008 - Amherst, MA

Honors & Awards

RNA Society Scaringe Young Scientist Postdoctoral Award, 2020

Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2017-20

Stanford Genome Training Program (SGTP) Fellowship, 2015-17

National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Fellowship, 2009-12

Phi Beta Kappa (Top 5% of Class), Amherst College, 2007

Professional Interests

• Transcriptome-wide subcellular RNA localization
• RNA modifications and epitranscriptomics
• RNA genomics technologies
• Post-transcriptional RNA regulation
• Bioinformatics and quantitative RNA biology
• Regulation of Mitochondrial gene expression
• Regulation of nuclear membrane-less organelles

Professional Statement

I am a biophysicist currently developing genomic tools to understand RNA biology. My long-term goals are to characterize how genetic information encoded in RNAs, both in coding and non-coding transcripts, contributes to the rich diversity of form and function across the domains of life, and within the cell types of complex organisms in both normal and diseases states. I am constantly impressed by the plasticity of RNA to carry out myriad functions, and I work on developing and applying tools to interrogate this immense world of possibilities.

Cells are exquisitely-organized entities, with the location of biomolecules within intimately tied to the maintenance of the organism and the regulation of its genes. Although subcellular RNA localization impacts gene expression through myriad ways, investigating localization simultaneously for many RNA species has been challenging. To address these obstacles, we recently developed an RNA sequencing-based approach called APEX-seq to determine the subcellular locations of RNAs transcriptome-wide in human cells at nm-spatial and minute-temporal resolution. A preliminary atlas of localization revealed that thousands of genes and transcript isoforms show differential RNA subcellular localization, which in turn has profound consequences for our understanding of development, neurodegeneration, and cancers.

The Fazal lab is a young laboratory focusing on systematically interrogating the subcellular transcriptomes of mammalian cells and characterizing the scope, regulation, and function of subcellular localization, particularly at the systems and organismal level. We use a variety of biochemical, biophysical, imaging, genomic and computational approaches to investigate the sequence-function relationship dictating RNA localization.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Surbhi Sharma, Furqan M Fazal "Localization of RNAs to the Mitochondria - Mechanisms and Functions." 2024 Mar 6; Pubmed PMID: 38448244
• Wu KE, Fazal FM, Parker KR, Zou J, Chang HY "RNA-GPS predicts SARS-CoV-2 RNA residency to host mitochondria and nucleolus. Cell Systems." Cell Systems. 2020;11:102-10. Pubmed PMID: 32673562
• Fazal FM*, Han S*, Parker KR, Kaewsapsak P, Xu J, Boettiger AN, Chang HY, Ting AY "Atlas of subcellular RNA localization revealed by APEX-seq.." Cell. 2019;178:473–490. Pubmed PMID: 31230715
• Sun L*, Fazal FM*, Li P*, Broughton JP, Lee B, Tang L, Huang W, Kool ET, Chang HY, Zhang QC "RNA structure maps across mammalian cellular compartments." Nature Structural and Molecular Biology (NSMB). 2019;26:322-330. Pubmed PMID: 30886404

Funding

Revealing Principles of Subcellular RNA Localization by Proximity Labeling

NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award

Defining New Mechanisms and Regulation of RNA Localization in Cancer

CPRIT First-time Tenure-track Faculty Award

Role of Cytoskeletal Motor Proteins in Subcellular RNA Localization

Grant funding from NIGMS R35 Grant

Leveraging RNA Proximity Labeling to Reveal the Principles of Subcellular RNA Localization to Mitochondria

Grant funding from Welch Research Grant