Cancer Biology

The Cancer Biology focus group encompasses a wide spectrum of research interests, from translational goals for improving treatment of human tumors, to basic research describing the molecular interactions of pathways that are key to cell regulation.  Group members who are developing the next generation techniques for analyzing complex tumor microenvironments include Drs. Skala (metabolic live imaging), Beebe (development of nanodevices), Dinh (single cell RNA Sequence), Masters and Kimple (establishing complex cell interactions in vitro).  Members studying epigenetics and cancer include Drs. Lewis, Pan and Xu. Members studying the genetics associated with cancer susceptibility, and the genetics of specific tumor types, include Drs. Brand, Bresnick, Churpek,  Lang, Hess,  Lim, and Zhang. Members at the translational interface of cancer immunology include Drs. Richards, Sondel, Morris, McNeel, Kimple and Capitini. Tools for early diagnostic development for cancer detection are being developed by Dr. Murtaza and Lang, and radiology tools for breast cancer evaluation by Dr. Fowler.  Basic aspects of DNA replication and repair are covered by Drs. Tibbets, Mehta and Matson. Key aspects of cancer cell division and chromosomal instability are led by Drs. Weaver, Burkard, Suzuki and Cosper.  Novel pathways driving cancer cell growth include the metabolic control exerted by skin (Alexander), nuclear lipid kinases (Dr. Cryns and Anderson), obesity (Arendt) and neuronal innervation (Birbrair).

Focus Group Chair Caroline Alexander
Oncology Department
Mammary tumor cell biology
alexander@oncology.wisc.edu