Cancer Cell Biology

Cancer Biology focuses on fundamental mechanisms in cancer development and progression with the long-term aim of promoting the translation of novel therapies.

Cancer Biology research covers a broad spectrum of inquiry into the mechanisms of cancer progression, including genomic and mRNA regulation, signal transduction, intracellular trafficking, cell polarity, metastasis and basic mechanisms of growth, invasion and survival. Investigators begin by utilizing a variety of tools to ask basic science questions about the initiation and progression of cancer (including model organisms and high-throughput techniques) and continue on through the pre-clinical application of these discoveries using mouse-modeling.

Anne Cress, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Vice Dean, Strategy and Innovation
Professor, Applied Biosciences GIDP
Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP
Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Professor, Radiation Oncology
(520) 626-7553

Studying the molecular mechanisms of human cancer progression and metastasis and the regulation of cell surface adhesion molecules, called integrins.
Nathan A. Ellis, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Chair, Genetics GIDP
Co-Program Leader, Cancer Biology Research Program
Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP
(520) 626-7979

Analyzing genomic instability in cancer susceptibility.
Cynthia Miranti, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Chair, Cancer Biology GIDP
Co-Program Leader, Cancer Biology Research Program
Professor, BIO5 Institute
(520) 626-2269

Defining the mechanisms by which cell adhesion and the tumor microenvironment promote prostate cancer progression and metastasis.
Ghassan (Gus) Mouneimne, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP
(520) 626-4616

Understanding How Cytoskeletal Architecture Regulates Cancer Metastasis
Gregory C. Rogers, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Associate Head, Faculty Development
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP
Professor, Genetics GIDP
Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology
(520) 626-3925

Understanding cellular mechanisms that control genomic integrity.
Curtis Thorne, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Director, Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine
Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute
(520) 626-0395

Combining chemical biology and computer vision approaches to discover cellular communication mechanisms controlling cell fate, self-organization and disease progression of regenerative tissues
Noel Warfel, PhD
Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Vice Chair, Cancer Biology GIDP
Associate Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP
Co-Director, Experimental Mouse Shared Resource
(520) 626-7756

Understanding the complex biological mechanisms that allow cancer cells to thrive in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and developing new therapeutic strategies to oppose hypoxia-mediated therapeutic resistance.
Jean Wilson, PhD
Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine
Director, Willed Body Program
Professor, BIO5 Institute
Professor, Cancer Biology GIDP
Professor, Neuroscience GIDP
(520) 626-2557

The Wilson laboratory works on the establishment and maintenance of the integrity of the intestine through the regulation of membrane trafficking to the apical plasma membrane domain.