Dr Chiara Herzog

Chiara Herzog

Dr Chiara Herzog

Epigenetics, ageing, and stem cells

Email: ch2151@cam.ac.uk     

Research

Age-related disease risk arises from the dynamic interplay between genetic background, cellular identity, and accumulated biological experience.

The epigenome records these interactions, integrating genetic variation, environmental exposures, and cellular context into stable yet dynamic molecular patterns. At the same time, epigenetic states help shape cell fate and tissue function, positioning the epigenome as both a molecular archive of biological experience and a potential regulator of disease risk. The Herzog lab investigates how DNA methylation encodes these signals across tissues and stem cell systems, and how this information can be harnessed to understand age-related disease formation, improve non-invasive risk prediction, and actively modulate stem cell function. 

The work of the Herzog Group is focused on three research themes:

  • Epigenetic memory and cellular ageing: Defining how DNA methylation encodes biological experience across tissues and stem cells.
  • Precision biomarkers of biological vulnerability: Translating epigenetic memory into non-invasive biomarkers that capture vulnerability, resilience, and disease risk before clinical onset.
  • Epigenetic regulation of stem cell function: Using experimental systems to test whether epigenetic states causally influence stem cell behaviour and ageing.

Funding

Wellcome Trust

Key Publications

  • Herzog, C.M.S., Redl, E., Barrett, J. et al. Functionally enriched epigenetic clocks reveal tissue-specific discordant aging patterns in individuals with cancer. Commun Med5, 98 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43856-025-00739-4
  • Herzog, C.M.S., Theeuwes, B., Jones, A. et al. Systems epigenetic approach towards non-invasive breast cancer detection. Nat Commun16, 3082 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53696-2
  • Herzog, C.M.S., Vavourakis, C., Redl, E., et al. Multi-modal atlas of lifestyle interventions reveals malleability of ageing-linked molecular features. bioRxiv (2025). https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.30.673115
  • Herzog, C.M.S., Jones, A., Evans, I., et al. Cigarette Smoking and E-cigarette Use Induce Shared DNA Methylation Changes Linked to Carcinogenesis. Cancer Res88, 11 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-23-2957
  • Moqri, M.*, Herzog, C.M.S.*, Poganik, J.R., et al. Biomarkers of aging for the identification and evaluation of longevity interventions. Cell186, 18 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.003
  • Herzog, C., Jones, A., Evans, I. et al. DNA methylation at quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) varies with cell type and nonheritable factors and may improve breast cancer risk assessment. npj Precis. Onc.7, 99 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-023-00452-2
  • Herzog, C.*, Marín, F.*, et al. A Simple Cervicovaginal Epigenetic Test for Screening and Rapid Triage of Women With Suspected Endometrial Cancer: Validation in Several Cohort and Case/Control Sets 40, 33 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.22.00266