Mentor Areas
Our laboratory studies mechanisms of cellular adaptation and cellular selection in cancer. We hypothesize that in response to microenvironment stress, these processes function as major drivers of intratumoral heterogeneity, improve the overall fitness of the transformed cell population, and introduce new traits of aggressive disease, including drug resistance, metabolic reprogramming and metastatic competence. We elucidate these pathways using a multidisciplinary portfolio of biochemical, cellular, and molecular approaches in vitro, xenograft and genetic models of localized and metastatic disease in mice, and analysis of clinically-annotated primary patient samples. Our research goals are mechanistic in nature and have immediate disease-relevant implications, as therapeutic targeting of tumor plasticity is feasible, and may simultaneously disable multiple mechanisms of disease progression across genetically heterogeneous cancers.
Description:
Our laboratory studies mechanisms of tumor growth and progression using a collection of cellular, molecular and genetic experimental approaches. Projects focus on the role of tumor metabolism and the modulation of mitochondrial cell death in the acquisition of aggressive tumor traits, including therapy resistance and metastatic competence
Preferred Qualifications
Prior laboratory experience in molecular and cellular biology.
Details:
Preferred Student Year
Second-Year, Junior, Senior
Volunteer
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to volunteers.Paid
Yes
Yes indicates that faculty are open to paying students they engage in their research, regardless of their work-study eligibility.Work Study
No
Yes indicates that faculty are open to hiring work-study-eligible students.