We study the molecular mechanisms by which chromatin-signaling networks effect nuclear and epigenetic programs, and how dysregulation of these pathways leads to cancer and other human diseases. Our work centers on the biology of lysine methylation, a principal chromatin-regulatory mechanism that directs epigenetic processes. We study how lysine methylation events on histone and non-histone proteins are generated, sensed, and transduced, and investigate how these chemical marks integrate with other cellular signaling systems to govern diverse cellular functions important for human health and disease.