Mahmuda Akter
Faculty Research Mentor: Shuang Huang, Ph.D.
Dr. Huang’s lab concentrates on elucidating molecular mechanisms associated with breast and ovarian cancer metastasis. They are investigate how homeobox domain-containing proteins SHOX2 and HOXC8 regulate breast cancer metastasis with the focus on their role in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), are dissecting the players and pathways pertinent to the metastasis-promoting role of EPS8/ABI1/SOS1 tri-complex in ovarian cancer, and are working on identifying cancer driver genes/pathways in ovarian cancer, with the emphasis on developing targeted therapeutic strategies against ovary malignancies.
Alaleh Anvar
Faculty Research Mentor: Lina Cui, Ph.D. , Co-Mentor: Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
My research focuses on evaluating cancer therapy responses, particularly chemotherapy and radiotherapy, using therapy-induced senescence (TIS) as a guide. I utilize a novel near-infrared beta-galactosidase probe (NIR-BG2) for real-time, noninvasive imaging of senescent cells. Additionally, my work explores how TIS influences breast cancer progression, metastasis, and immune responses through animal models and molecular analyses.
Loa Bakhsh
Faculty Research Mentor: Shuang Huang, Ph.D.
My research focuses on evaluating the therapeutic potential of a novel compound that enhances pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of programmed cell death. I aim to determine how this mechanism can be exploited to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies, including PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4 antibodies. The ultimate goal is to develop effective combination treatment strategies that overcome resistance and improve clinical outcomes for patients with ovarian cancer.
Fabiha Bushra
Faculty Research Mentor: Maryam Rahman, Ph.D.
Research TBD
Louis Cafaro
Faculty Research Mentor: Duane Mitchell, M.D. , Ph.D.
My laboratory focuses on using adoptive cellular therapy to treat brain cancers such as glioblastoma. We are interested in improving our platform by developing an allogeneic antigen presenting cell platform to replace culturing patient dendritic cells and finding cell surface marker profiles of dendritic cell vaccine primed T cells.
Yodarlynis Campaneria
Faculty Research Mentor: Elias Sayour, M.D. , Ph.D.
Dr. Sayour’s lab focuses on developing new nanotech vaccines to reprogram the immune system against cancer cells. They are investigating the use of personalized nanoparticles small enough to deliver essential information to the immune system educating it reject pediatric cancer. His group is investigating the safety and efficacy of this novel vaccine formulation in canines with malignant brain tumors before translation into dedicated human studies. ‘Yoda’ is investigating vaccine-boosted CAR T crosstalk with host immunity to reject tumors with antigen heterogeneity.
Madison Carelock
Faculty Research Mentor: Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
My research focuses on determining the role of BCL-XL in breast cancer metastasis by using in vitro and in vivo models to understand the complex function of BCL-XL in cancer cells and in immune regulations. In addition, we will investigate therapeutic regimens to effectively target BCL-XL by testing different PROteolysis TArgeting Chimeras (PROTACS).
Daniel Rincon Diaz
Faculty Research Mentor: Fan Zhang, Ph.D.
Research TBD
John Figg
Faculty Research Mentor: Catherine Flores, Ph.D.
I am currently investigating cellular mechanisms of adoptive cellular therapy in models of brain cancer, a novel therapeutic platform that has demonstrated preclinical efficacy against medulloblastoma, brain stem glioma and high-grade glioma. I am interested in modulating host conditioning using radiotherapy in conjunction with adoptive cell therapy to improve outcomes for patients diagnosed with solid tumors that are refractory to conventional management.
Maria Hernandez
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, Ph.D.
I am interested in understanding the underlying physiological mechanisms that take place when the microbiota is disrupted due to lifestyle factors like sleep deprivation. My research focuses on elucidating this interplay in the context of colorectal cancer and how this knowledge can be leveraged to improve disease progression and treatment response.
Ibtida Ishmam
Faculty Research Mentor: Jason Butler, Ph.D.
Research TBD
Gabriel Jobin
Faculty Research Mentor: Christina von Roemeling, Ph.D.
I am interested in characterizing the acute immune response induced by RNA-lipid nanoparticle cancer vaccines. This work will improve our understanding of early immune activation in immunotherapies and ultimately help us exploit these mechanisms to generate effective anti-tumor immunity.
Chayil Cyan Lattimore
Faculty Research Mentor: Kristianna Fredenburg, M.D., Ph.D.
Our lab is involved in racial health disparities research aimed at better understanding the disease burden experienced by black patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). My project specifically focuses on using various computational methods to investigate the molecular pathways that are potentially modulated by the differential expression of miRNAs in black versus white patients with LSCC.
Huijia Liu
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, Ph.D.
My research focuses on the role of gut microbiota in cancer immunotherapy. Using both in vitro and in vivo models, we have isolated immunostimulatory bacterial metabolites that enhance the effectiveness of anti-PD-1 therapy in anti-tumor treatment. I am currently investigating the mechanisms by which these bacterial metabolites influence the anti-PD-1-mediated anti-tumor response.
Yueying Liu
Faculty Research Mentor: Matthew Gentry, Ph.D.
My research focuses on understanding the role of glycogen metabolism in the development and progression of Ewing sarcoma. Specifically, I am investigating how the lysosomal enzyme GAA influences Ewing sarcoma metastasis and exploring the therapeutic potential of targeting glycogen pathways in this aggressive pediatric cancer.
Christiano Marconi
Faculty Research Mentor: Elias Sayour, M.D. , Ph.D.
My research focuses on exploring the synergy between RNA lipid-nanoparticle vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, and immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies. My goal is to utilize the mechanisms identified in this study to develop an innovative treatment that enhances the effectiveness of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Natalie Martinez
Faculty Research Mentor: Scott Tibbetts, Ph.D.
Dr. Tibbett’s lab studies gammaherpesviruses, which are associated with multiple types of human malignancies, including lymphomas, carcinomas and sarcomas. Their research harnesses the power of the closely related murine gammaherpesvirus (MHV68) in vivo system to gain insight into the mechanisms by which viral noncoding RNAs contribute to latency and tumorigenesis, and to define the molecular and pathogenic strategies that these viruses use to evade the immune system and manipulate B cell biology in order to establish lifelong latent infections.
Jesus Mendoza
Faculty Research Mentor: John Ligon, Ph.D. , Co-Mentor: Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D.
My research investigates tumor intrinsic mechanisms of adaptive drug resistance to tailor precision immunotherapy for enhanced anti-tumor efficacy. My approach is to implement high-throughput screening methods to harness the cancer-specific molecular alterations from refractory tumors and bypass immune evasion through a multi-targeted platform involving vaccines and cellular therapy.
Temitope Mary Ogunmola
Faculty Research Mentor: Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
My research investigates the suppressive role of a distinct subpopulation of senescent tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells (TI-Tregs) in driving the progression of renal clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC). By leveraging novel mouse models and advanced fluorescent probes to label senescent cells, we aim to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of senescent TI-Tregs within the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, we are exploring the application of Proteolysis Targeting Chimeras (PROTACs) as senolytic agents to selectively eliminate these cells, with the overarching goal of reprogramming the tumor microenvironment in ccRCC from an immunosuppressed to an immunocompetent state.
Maksymilian Pilecki
Faculty Research Mentor: Shannon Wallet, Ph.D.
Research TBD
Bristy Podder
Faculty Research Mentor: Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
I am studying protein degradation using PROTACs that selectively degrade the nuclear receptor NR4A1 in cancer cells. My research focuses on understanding NR4A1’s role in tumor biology and evaluating its therapeutic potential.
Pedro Ramos
Faculty Research Mentor: Ryan Kolb, Ph.D.
My research focuses on studying the dichotomous role of the protein ANGPTL4 as both a tumor suppressor and angiogenic factor in Renal Cell Carcinoma. We are specifically interested in elucidating its role in lipid metabolism regulation and angiogenesis to better understand its function in tumor progression. The ultimate goal of this project is to identify new targets that could aid in therapies for ccRCC patients.
Kyle Scheller
Faculty Research Mentor: Lizi Wu Ph.D.
My research focuses on further understanding how CRTC1-MAML2, a novel chimeric oncoprotein, drives Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma (MEC), the most common salivary gland malignancy. Specifically, I am interested in exploring the roles of CRTC1-MAML2 transcriptional condensates in driving an aberrant cAMP/CREB-mediated transcriptional program that ultimately promotes the progression of MEC.
Qiongyu (Erin) Shi
Faculty Research Mentor: Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
Research TBD
Sarah Tatum
Faculty Research Mentor: Christian Jobin, Ph.D.
I am interested in understanding factors influencing the development of early-onset colorectal cancer, particularly concerning the interaction between the microbiota and the diet. My research focuses on taurine-metabolizing Bilophila wadsworthia, as well as an ongoing clinical trial investigating microbiota changes in response to energy drink consumption.
Tanzia Islam Tithi
Faculty Research Mentor: Weizhou Zhang, Ph.D.
My research focuses on the differential roles of mismatch repair proteins, MutSα and MutLα, in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) metastasis and immunomodulation. Using multiple mouse models alongside genetic, cellular, and multi-omics approaches, I investigate how MutSα promotes tumor progression and immune evasion, while MutLα acts as a suppressor by modulating the tumor microenvironment. My work aims to identify molecular targets to suppress BLBC progression and improve immunotherapy responses, contributing to the development of effective, targeted therapies for BLBC.
Julian Tobon
Faculty Research Mentor: Rene Opavsky Ph.D.
My research focuses on identifying critical genes involved in Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) maintenance and proliferation, with a particular emphasis on C17ORF58. Using functional genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics, I aim to uncover the molecular mechanisms driving PTCL survival and identify potential therapeutic targets.
Chong Zhao
Faculty Research Mentor: Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D.
My research focus on unveiling the mechanism that drives the resistance of osteosarcoma to mRNA-LPA treatment and exploring the adaptive treatment. I am specifically interested in studying the immune-suppressive function of tumor infiltrating myeloid cells and the interaction between the TAMs and TILs.
