Research

The primary goal of our research is to understand molecular mechanisms regulating tumor growth, inflammation and metastasis. We are interested in elucidating the signaling cascades that regulate recruitment and activation of immunosuppressive macrophages in the tumor microenvironment during tumor progression. We are using multiple advanced strategies (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, single cell transcriptomics, immune phenotyping, system biology approaches), human patient samples and genetic mouse models of cancer (pancreatic adenocarcinoma, lung carcinoma, neuroblastoma) to study interactions of myeloid cells with other immune cells and developing tumors. The long-term goal of our research is to translate these findings toward development of novel therapeutics to block immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy, radiation therapy and immunotherapy in solid tumors.