Research
Research Laboratories
Chen (Junjie) Laboratory
The Chen Laboratory investigates the roles of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes in DNA repair and other signaling pathways involved in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis.
Gan Laboratory
Research in the Gan Laboratory focuses on the roles of energy metabolism and nutrient sensing in cancer. They study how normal cells and cancer cells sense energy and nutrient availability and how cancer cells adapt to survive and grow under metabolic stress. Their work aims to translate our understanding of cancer metabolism into novel effective cancer therapeutics.
Kalocsay Laboratory
The Kalocsay lab uses quantitative mass spectrometry to understand receptor signaling. The lab has pioneered proximity sensitive proteomics to precisely define functional interactions in situ at unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution and developed proximity phospho-proteomics to precisely follow protein phosphorylation during signaling. The lab plans to leverage proximity-proteomics and mass spectrometry (MS) to study dynamics and aberrations of signaling processes in the context of immune checkpoints.
Keyomarsi & Hunt Laboratory
The KeyHunt Laboratory is directed by Dr. Khandan Keyomarsi and Dr. Kelly K. Hunt. The lab is focused on clinical and translational cancer research in solid tumors, primarily in breast cancers and sarcomas. The laboratory has developed a research program for identifying novel therapeutic strategies and prognostic markers based on alterations in G1/S and G2/M checkpoints in tumor cells focusing on solid tumors such as breast, sarcoma, pancreatic and lung cancers.
Ma Laboratory
The overarching goal of the Ma Laboratory is to advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression and metastasis and to advance anti-metastatic therapy through groundbreaking research in RNA biology and tumor cell signaling.
Mazur Laboratory
The aim of the Mazur Laboratory is to define upfront polytherapy approaches based upon deep systematic interrogation of the aberrant molecular pathways operating in lung and pancreatic cancer to combat or eliminate targeted and immunotherapy resistance and transform the two most deadly human cancers from lethal disease into a curable condition. The lab's approach is to (1) develop novel promising immunotherapy approaches using T lymphocytes engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CAR T cells) to act as a "living drug" to kill cancer cells, (2) utilize the lab's recently published method for in vivo CRISPR-mediated somatic-engineering to generate a pharmacogenomic map that will guide patient treatment and (3) identify novel and “orphan” enzymes substrates important in driving cancer progression and drug resistance. Ultimately, the lab hopes to build a comprehensive disease modeling platform to study novel signaling networks and generate innovative therapeutics using animal models that frightfully represent human disease and to decipher mechanisms of cancer progression and drug resistance.
Meistrich/Shetty Laboratory
Research in the Meistrich/Shetty Laboratory is directed towards fertility preservation in boys and young men undergoing cancer therapy. Using rodent and non-human primate model systems, they are testing hormonal and retinoid treatments for modifying the sensitivity and recovery potential of spermatogonial stem cells. They are also investigating transplantation and grafting of cryopreserved spermatogonial stem cells or testis tissue grafting of cryopreserved material containing stem spermatogonia for the restoration of sperm production. In addition, the lab is also assessing the levels of genetic mutations in human sperm obtained during and after cancer therapy in order to evaluate genetic risks to offspring from pregnancies that might result.
Park Laboratory
The overarching goal of the research program in the Park Laboratory is to understand the mechanisms of tissue regeneration and tumorigenesis by employing genetically engineered mice and organoids. Their recent investigations have aimed to address two critical questions: Is tumor cell plasticity a therapeutic vulnerability of cancer? Can manipulating cell plasticity promote tissue regeneration, or even prevent tissue damage?
Piwnica-Worms (Helen) Laboratory
The Piwnica-Worms Laboratory identifies alterations with functional significance to the development and progression of invasive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and examines how fasting and different diets protect small intestinal stem cells from lethal levels of DNA damage induced by chemotherapy or ionizing radiation.
Zhao Laboratory
Over the past decade, large-scale cancer genome studies have uncovered emerging genetic alterations in malignancies. The Zhao Laboratory in the Experimental Radiation Oncology department focuses on functional genomics of prostate cancer, with a special interest in understanding crosstalk between cancer cells and immune components in the tumor microenvironment and metastatic niche. Areas of Research: prostate cancer, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and tumor microenvironment.
