Cristina is interested in transcription regulation, epigenetics, cancer, and developmental biology, and specializes in using CRIPSR to generate novel in vitro and in vivo models to investigate functional genetic interactions. She joined the Fishman lab from the Zon lab, where she led a project to elucidate transcription elongation in the neural crest and melanoma and worked on a large-scale chemical genetic screen to elucidate the mechanism of action of leflunomide, a chemical currently in a clinical trial for metastatic melanoma.
Cristina obtained her Ph.D. from the Max Planck Institute. Her graduate studies centered on the role of light in entraining circadian rhythms in zebrafish cells and embryos. This work led to the discovery that the cell cycle in zebrafish is regulated by light-dark cycles. Following her Ph.D., Cristina did her postdoctoral training at IFOM, the FIRC Institute for Molecular Oncology.