We focus on how stem cell programs drive tumor progression and therapeutic resistance.

We have active projects in cell adhesion mechanisms, cell-cell communication, and the interaction between tumor cells and the immune system. We also investigate sex differences in glioblastoma.

Cancer is a disease defined by complexity and it has recently been appreciated that many lethal tumors contain a high degree of cellular heterogeneity. Moreover, tumor cells are organized in a cellular hierarchy, with a cancer stem cell at the apex. Cancer stem cells have been characterized in a variety of cancers, including malignant brain tumors, and have been shown to be responsible for tumor formation and therapeutic resistance. Our main interest is how cancer stem cells from malignant brain tumors interact with their surrounding microenvironment, which provides signals to preserve the malignancy of these cells.  Specifically, we are interested in cell to cell communication mechanisms as these will help better define the biology of this population and may serve as potent therapies. To fully appreciate cancer stem cell interactions in the appropriate microenvironment, we are developing imaging models to study the communication in real time.