Areas of Study
Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is a deadly disease with very few effective treatment options. In fact, of those patients with stage IV pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), less than 11% survive more than five years. Immunotherapy is an exciting new therapy for cancer patients, but it has limited efficacy in PDA. Understanding why PDA tumors are resistant to immunotherapy will increase sensitivity to current treatments, improving patient outcomes.
Colon Cancer
Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer affecting both males and females in the United States. Although major advances in chemotherapy have expanded the therapeutic options for advanced cancer patients, fewer than 20 percent are still alive at five years. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed of various cell types including cancer-associated fibroblasts, immune cells that support the tumor's growth. We are studying how tumor cells interact with their environment with goal of creating better therapies.
