Welcome to the Soloway Lab at Cornell University where we study epigenetic phenomena in mammals. The term epigenetics is attributed to Conrad Hal Waddington, who used it in the early 1950's to describe environmentally induced, nongenetic changes in traits. The "epi" prefix emphasizes that mechanisms exist that influence traits which are distinct from genetic mechanisms. Because epigenetic phenomena are reversible at a much higher rate than genetic mutations, they may play a special role in evolutionary processes.
