Program Scope

Our program has a long history of investigating the molecular mechanisms of cancer and connecting our findings to treatment and prevention. Labs in our program study many different types of cancer, at scales that range from the molecular pathways within a cell, to influences of the microenvironment around a tumor, to the impacts of systemic factors like age, sex, and race in the pathogenesis of cancer. Many of our researchers also work to translate those findings to clinical practice. 

Biological systems require “quality control” cellular mechanisms to detect damaged macromolecules, such as DNA mutation or misfolded proteins, and then target them for either repair and recycling, or disposal. Failure of these quality control pathways is at the source of many diseases including cancer and various neurodegenerative conditions. We approach questions related to quality control at the structural, biochemical, molecular, cellular, tissue/organ, and organismal levels.

Many of our labs not only look at biological processes which have impacts that reach populations, but also aim to understand external factors that have profound effects on biology down to the molecular level. Research in this area includes tracing the influence of aging on prevalence and progression of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and other conditions; understanding how sex differences effect immune responses; and the impact of neighborhood-level socioeconomic factors on epigenetic markers associated with disease risk.