Cancer Biology | Research Interests

Name	Email	PhD Program
Schrank, Travis EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Pathobiology & Translational Science RESEARCH INTEREST Bioinformatics, Biophysics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Molecular Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Translational Medicine, Virology	I am a surgeon-scientist specialized in head and neck cancers. My goal is to address translationalquestions with genomic data and bioinformatic methods, as well as benchtop experimentation. My clinical practice as a head and neck cancer surgeon also influences my research by helping me seek solutions to problems that will directly inform gaps in the current treatment protocols. I have developed a strong interest in HPV genomics as well as HPV/host genome integrations, as these factors are intrinsically related to transcriptional diversity and patient outcomes in HPV-associated head and neck cancers. Our work has helped to demonstrate that a novel mechanism of HPV-mediated oncogenesis requiring NF-kB activation is present in nearly 50% of oropharyngeal tumors. In this vein, we are aggressively investigating the cellular interplay between the NF-kB pathway and persistent HPV infection, tumor radiation response, NRF2 signaling, and more. Another outgrowth of this work has been investigating APOBEC3B and its non-canonical roles in regulating transcription. Our preliminary work has demonstrated that APOBEC3B has surprisingly strong transcriptional effects in HPV+ HNSCC cells and may promote oncogenesis and tumor maintenance by suppressing the innate immune response and influencing the HPV viral lifecycle. Our group also have a strong interest in translational genomic studies. Our group is working to develop methods that will make gene expression-based biomarkers more successful in the clinic, as well as studying many aspects of genomic alterations that contribute to the development of squamous cell carcinomas.
Chung, Kay WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Cell Biology & Physiology RESEARCH INTEREST Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Immunology, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Chemical Biology, Computational Biology, Gene Therapy, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Signal Transduction, Systems Biology, Translational Medicine, Virology	The Chung lab is engineering immune cells, particularly T cells, to achieve maximum therapeutic efficacy at the right place and timing. We explore the crossroads of synthetic biology, immunology, and cancer biology. Particularly, we are employing protein engineering, next-gen sequencing, CRISPR screening, and bioinformatics to achieve our objectives: (1) Combinatorial recipes of transcription factors for T cell programming. (2) Technologies for temporal regulation and/or rewiring of tumor and immune signal activation (chemokine, nuclear, inhibitor receptors). (3) Synthetic oncolytic virus for engineering tumor-T cell crosstalk.
Peng, Aimin WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Cell Biology & Physiology, Oral & Craniofacial Biomedicine, Pathobiology & Translational Science RESEARCH INTEREST Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cancer Preclinical Models, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Cell Cycle, Drug Discovery	Our overarching goal is to delineate how cells respond to cancer therapeutics that induce DNA damage, and, accordingly, to develop new strategies that overcome treatment resistance in cancer, including head and neck cancer. To achieve this goal, we study new mechanisms of the cell cycle and DNA repair using comprehensive experimental systems; we investigate the involvement of these mechanisms in oral cancer progression and resistance; and we develop new therapeutics using cellular, biochemical, and pharmacological approaches.
Pruitt, Kevin WEBSITE EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Pharmacology RESEARCH INTEREST Bioinformatics, Cancer Biology, Cancer Genomics, Cell Biology, Cell Signaling, Epigenetics & Chromatin Biology, Immunology, Pharmacology	Pruitt lab research involves 3 broad areas. Interest in the first area (cancer epigenetics) stemmed from discoveries made during postdoctoral training assessing how tumor progression disrupts epigenetic mechanisms of control. The second area (Wnt pathway regulation) was the result of early screens as an Assistant Professor at LSU Health Sciences Center. We uncovered novel regulators of oncogenic Wnt signaling and published the first observation that epigenetic enzymes regulate a critical mediator of Wnt signaling (Dishevelled). The third project involves elucidating mechanisms of aromatase regulation which emerged from the obsession of early trainees in the lab with understanding mechanisms cancer-associated estrogen biosynthesis. Within the context of these three projects, I have mentored and guided multiple trainees at every level over the course of 17 years.
Yates, Melinda EMAIL PUBLICATIONS	PHD PROGRAM Pathobiology & Translational Science RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Cancer Genomics, Cancer Preclinical Models, Cancer Signaling & Biochemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology, Translational Medicine	Our translational research lab is focused on the earliest changes that occur in the uterus (endometrium) during cancer development related to obesity and hereditary DNA repair defects. We use preclinical tools (rodents, organoids, and cell lines) to probe mechanisms of endometrial cancer pathogenesis, in parallel with human tissue studies. Our overall goal is to understand how environmental factors, including obesity, hormones, and other exposures, influence endometrial cancer development and disparities so that we can use pharmacologic agents to prevent or reverse cancer development.
Murray, Allison EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Immunology, Molecular Medicine	“I’m interested in exploring mechanisms of adaptive resistance to novel therapeutics, particularly in aggressive tumor models like PDAC, NSCLC, and CRC. I believe that transcriptional rebound mechanisms can be overpowered by the anti-tumor immune system, but the relationships among mechanisms of adaptive resistance and anti-tumor immune system dynamics have yet to be well elucidated. Thus, while I welcome the opportunity to explore both immune cell crosstalk and novel therapeutic efficacy, my hope is to identify a synergistic small-molecule/immunotherapy combo that can not only overcome adaptive resistance to single agent, but also translate well to the clinic.”
Sahoo, Sneha EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Immunology, Translational Medicine	“During graduate school, I would like to work on a cancer biology problem that is heavily translational and multi-disciplinary in nature. I am really interested in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and I would like to study tumor-promoting/suppressing mechanisms promoted due to cell crosstalk in the TME. Alternatively, I am also interested in studying different molecular mechanisms that result in cancer initiation and metastasis. Ultimately, I would like to utilize my research findings to develop potential therapeutic interventions.”
Griffith, Lauren EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Immunology, Pathogenesis & Infection	“My current research interests are in cancer research, specifically how the microenvironment affects tumor development and progression. I am interested in analyzing how gut microbiota composition can impact disease formation and progression, as well as how genetic factors and mutations can impact it as well.”
Klein, Emma EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Computational Biology, Genomics	“I am most interested in computational biology projects! I aim to combine wet and dry lab, as I would love to be involved in both. Although my past experiences center around cancer genomics, I am open to completely new research areas.”
Armstrong, Emma EMAIL	PHD PROGRAM RESEARCH INTEREST Cancer Biology, Genomics, Translational Medicine	“I would like to study cancer biology in the translational setting. I am interested in cancer migration and metastasis as well as genomic instability and the tumor microenvironment. In my research I would like to incorporate computational methods as well.”

Research Interest: Cancer Biology