My research background was initially focused on investigating an important nuclear enzyme, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and its interaction with DNA polymerase a during DNA replication. With a solid background in mammalian DNA replication and repair, and enzymology, I spearheaded the research, design, and implementation of a number of seminal studies on the diverse roles of PARP in differentiation, DNA replication, and apoptosis, and was a key player in several exciting studies in which we determined a pivotal role for PARP in the DNA replication complex, in the early stages of apoptosis, in the maintenance of genomic integrity, as well as in the regulation of gene expression. My current research interests revolve around the roles of specific genes in molecular mechanisms of apoptosis, a form of cellular suicide important in both normal development and a number of human diseases, as well as the practical aspects of modulating this process in the development of therapeutic approaches to cancer, autoimmune, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease. Abnormalities in apoptotic regulation have been shown to play a critical role in pathogenesis of these diseases.