The Serrano Lab

Research

Our lab currently studies three histone modifiers with essential roles during development and disease: the histone methyltransferase KMT2D and the histone acetyltransferases KAT6A and KAT6B. To understand their roles in development and their implications in disease, we use diverse research models, including zebrafish, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and primary cells.

Current Lab Projects:

Advancing basic knowledge of histone H3 modifiers in cell processes and lineages relevant to Kabuki Syndrome and KAT6-related disorders.
Understanding how KMT2D influences neuronal progenitor cell heterogeneity and lineage potential using KMT2D loss-of-function models.
Investigating the role of KMT2D in shaping ontogeny-specific pericyte histone landscapes during development.
Defining how KMT2D influences endothelial tip and stalk cell selection during sprouting angiogenesis.
Exploring disease mechanisms driven by pathogenic variants in histone H3 modifiers.
Identifying shared mechanisms across distinct diseases and cell lineages.

Our Team

Angie Serrano

Principal Investigator | maserr@bu.edu

Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM), Boston University.

About Angie:
Angie is originally from Argentina. After her training at the University of Utah in the Yost Lab, she joined Boston University in 2022 to establish her research group. Her lab studies rare diseases arising from pathogenic variants in histone modifiers, emphasizing vascular and neurodevelopmental biology. In her free time, Angie enjoys riding with her family, home coffee roasting, and horror movies!

More About Our PI

Carly Golden

PhD Candidate

About Carly:
Carly earned her B.Sc. in Biology from Mansfield University, studying biofluorescence in coral. She completed her M.Sc. in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Brandeis University, investigating actin-regulating proteins. Before returning to graduate school, she worked at several companies developing AAV gene therapies for rare diseases. In the Serrano Lab, she studies how the epigenetic regulator KMT2D controls neural progenitor cell development using single-cell multiomics, spectral flow cytometry, and stem cell models. Outside the lab, Carly enjoys hiking, cooking new recipes, and staying engaged with the rare disease community.

Sandeep Sreerama

MD/PhD Candidate

About Sandeep:
Sandeep graduated from the University of Central Florida with a B.Sc. in Biomedical Science and Biotechnology, joining Boston University's MD/PhD program in 2021. He is a PhD Candidate in the Molecular and Translational Medicine program in Dr. Serrano’s lab, researching pericyte biology, their developmental precursors, and the epigenetic modifier KMT2D. Sandeep enjoys board games with friends and exploring local restaurants.

Sandra Sulser Ponce De Leon

PhD Candidate

About Sandra:
Sandra is originally from Mexico City, where she began her career as a Registered Dietitian. Her passion for studying molecular mechanisms of metabolism and chronic diseases brought her to Boston, where she earned an MSc. in Nutrition and Metabolism. Currently, Sandra studies how KMT2D regulates endothelial cell identity during angiogenesis, specifically in tip and stalk cell selection and shuffling, using iPSC-derived endothelial cells and zebrafish models.

Past Members

Zoe Hoffmann Kamrat (Undergraduate Summer Internship)

Christopher Buie (AHA SURE Fellow)

Irena Feng (MD/PhD Rotation Student)

Sophia Blankevoort (Undergraduate Summer Internship)

Emilia Serrano (Undergraduate Summer Internship)

Jack Nelson (PhD Rotation Student)

Saylor Williams (Lab Manager)

Publications

Moreira-Bouchard JD, Cunha J, Tao BS, Kim H, Lepson J, Nessen EJ, Milstone ZJ, Fisher N, Clinton N, Roberts LM, Serrano MA, Gopal DM, Benjamin EJ, So-Armah K, Fetterman JL.
Creating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility statements for your CV: a resource guide to effectiveness and comprehensiveness. Epub 2024 Nov 1. PMID: 39485298.
Link

Golden CS, Williams S, Blankevoort S, Belkina A, Yost HJ, Serrano MA.
Nuclear Histone 3 Post-translational Modification Profiling in Whole Cells using Spectral Flow Cytometry. bioRxiv. 2024 Nov. doi: 10.1101/2024.10.03.616268.
Link

Golden CS, Williams S, Serrano MA.
Molecular insights of KMT2D and clinical aspects of Kabuki syndrome type 1. Birth Defects Res. 2023 Nov 15;115(19):1809-1824. Review. PubMed PMID: 37158694.
Link

Serrano MA, Demarest BL, Tone-Pah-Hote T, Tristani-Firouzi M, Yost HJ.
Inhibition of Notch signaling rescues cardiovascular development in Kabuki Syndrome. PLoS Biol. 2019 Sep;17(9):e3000087. PubMed PMID: 31479440.
Link

Lab Accomplishments

Carly Golden:

Co-developed EpiFlow, a high-throughput spectral flow cytometry platform, to characterize histone modification dynamics at single-cell resolution.
Characterized chromatin and gene expression changes in KMT2D-deficient neural progenitors by integrating single-cell multiome data.

Sandeep Sreerama:

Adapted EpiFlow for concurrent measurement of histone PTMs and protein expression at single-cell resolution in zebrafish tissues.
Identified ontogeny-specific histone PTM signatures in KMT2D-deficient pericytes.

Sandra Sulser Ponce De Leon:

Invited speaker at the 2024 Reinhart Frank Symposium (University of Tübingen, Germany), presenting research on KMT2D’s role in developmental sprouting angiogenesis.
Optimized differentiation protocols for KMT2D-null iPSC-derived arterial-like endothelial cells.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

Angie's Statement:

In our lab, we nurture a culture that values diversity, collaboration, and scientific rigor. I have mentored students from underrepresented communities in science, offering sustained support beyond their lab experiences. I strive to create a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for scientific discussion.

As a first-generation Latin American woman in STEM, I openly share my challenges and confidently model overcoming them. This approach provides a respectful and supportive environment for mentees from all backgrounds to find their scientific voices.

Improving ethnic and racial representation in academia requires encouraging future scientists from an early age. I actively participate in programs and panel discussions to inspire K-12 students, teaching them that curiosity is the primary skill for science and sharing resources for their STEM journey.

I also value long-term mentorship, maintaining contact with former trainees, following their career paths, and supporting their growth. I believe in science's higher purpose and in empowering my mentees to profoundly impact underserved communities.