Oncology

Small-cell lung cancer is recalcitrant cancer and the most aggressive form of lung malignancy. My research is focused on developing new therapies for small cell lung cancer in both preclinical and clinical settings. We are especially interested in identifying predictive biomarkers and drug resistance mechanisms. We use state-of-art genomic and high-throughput drug screenings to identify new targets and novel drug combinations. Our research employes cell lines, animal models, and patient samples.

Research keywords: translational research; preclinical; cancer biology

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My overarching research goals involve utilization of genomic information from sarcomas to better understand the pathogenesis of these rare tumors and to identify biomarkers to aid in early cancer detection and therapeutic targets for these aggressive cancers.

Research keywords: sarcoma; cancer biology; cancer predisposition

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Work in our lab focuses on immune regulation of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a debilitating and potentially fatal complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). HSCT can cure high-risk malignancies and other blood and bone marrow diseases, yet success is limited by this devastating complication.
We aim to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying immune tolerance in HSCT and develop approaches to enhance regulatory immune cells for GVHD prevention and treatment. Our goal is to develop a cellular therapy for GVHD with a bench-to-bedside approach, engineering viable advances for prevention and cure, and making HSCT a safer way to cure hematologic diseases.

Research keywords: T cells; cellular therapy; immune regulation

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Our laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms that control blood cancer development, with a focus on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). MDS results from somatic mutations in hematopoietic cells that clonally evolve over time leading to disease progression. Mutations in genes that regulate RNA splicing occur in 50% of MDS patients, and ongoing work in the lab is uncovering downstream splicing targets that drive early disease pathogenesis. Our program uses primary patient samples to decipher the clonal evolution of tumor cells in serial samples using whole genome and single cell sequencing platforms, and we generate preclinical mouse models for mechanistic and therapeutic studies.

Research keywords: functional genomics; tumor biology; hematopoiesis

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