Description of Research Expertise

KEYWORDS:
Tumor Microenvironment, Tumor Metabolism, Integrated Stress Response, drug screens, radiosensitizers.

RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Delineation of mechanisms of resistance to tumor microenvironmental stress, with emphasis on the Unfolded Protein Response in cancer. Development of small molecule agents to target these mechanisms as novel targeted modalities. Development of novel radiosensitizers.

My laboratory is primarily interested in two broad areas:

1. To understand the mechanisms by which components of the microenvironment (e.g. hypoxia, low nutrient availability) interact with cellular survival/apoptotic pathways to produce a more resistant tumor phenotype. Once we understand the regulation and function of these survival pathways, we then design cell-based and assays to screen small molecule libraries for compounds that inhibit these processes and test them alone or in combination with genotoxic agents in several animal tumor models.

2. To increase the therapeutic effectiveness of ionizing radiation (IR) by either employing existing compounds with relatively safe toxicity profiles or employ screening strategies to identify novel and potent radiation sensitizers. We are also interested in developing novel delivery approaches for such compounds, such as biocompatible nanoparticles.


ROTATION PROJECTS:
Currently the lab is accepting 2 new rotation students.