Cancer Cell Biology

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.

Primary Faculty
Parker B. Antin, PhD Associate Dean, Research-Agriculture and Life Sciences Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 621-7201 pba@email.arizona.edu Research in our laboratory investigates mechanisms regulating lineage diversification and morphogenesis during embryogenesis.
Anne Cress, PhD Deputy Dean, Research Affairs Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, Radiation Oncology Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology (520) 626-7553 cress@email.arizona.edu We study the molecular mechanisms of human cancer progression and metastasis and the regulation of cell surface adhesion molecules, called integrins.
Tom Doetschman, PhD Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, BIO5 Institute (520) 626-4901 tdoetsch@email.arizona.edu Synergistic activities of TGFbeta deficiency and the gut microbiome in colon cancer.
Nathan A. Ellis, PhD Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Scientific Director, Cancer Biology Research Program (520) 626-7979 naellis@email.arizona.edu Genetic analysis of genomic instability in cancer susceptibility.
Carol C. Gregorio, PhD Vice Dean for Innovation and Development – COM - Tucson Department Head, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Co-Director, Sarver Heart Center Director, Molecular Cardiovascular Research Program Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Professor, BIO5 Institute (520) 626-8113 gregorio@email.arizona.edu The research in my laboratory is focused on identifying the components and molecular mechanisms regulating cytoskeletal architecture in cardiac and skeletal muscle during normal development and in disease.
Natalia Ignatenko, PhD Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Res - (Research Scholar Track) (520) 626-8044 nai@email.arizona.edu My research is currently focused on the role and regulation of serine protease Kallikrein 6 in metastatic colon cancer. Other research area is polyamine metabolism in inflammation-induced gastrointestinal malignancies.
Keith Maggert, PhD Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 626-9545 kamaggert@email.arizona.edu Connection between epignetic instability and chromosome damage.
Cynthia Miranti, PhD Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Program Leader, Prostate Cancer Research (520) 626-2269 cmiranti@email.arizona.edu Defining the mechanisms by which cell adhesion and the tumor microenvironment promote prostate cancer progression and metastasis.
Ghassan (Gus) Mouneimne, PhD Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 626-4616 gmouneimne@email.arizona.edu Understanding How Cytoskeletal Architecture Regulates Cancer Metastasis
Ritu Pandey, PhD Research Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 626-0391 ritu@email.arizona.edu To investigate underlying molecular profiles in cancer patient data using integrated computational analysis of multi-omics data in the context of disease outcome, treatment and progression.
Gregory C. Rogers, PhD Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Associate Department Head, Faculty Development, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Associate Professor, Molecular and Cellular Biology Associate Professor, BIO5 Institute (520) 626-3925 gcrogers@email.arizona.edu Understanding cellular mechanisms that regulate centrosome duplication, nuclear organization, and genomic integrity.
Raymond B. Runyan, PhD Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Scientist, Sarver Heart Center Investigator, Center for Toxicology (520) 626-2326 rrunyan@email.arizona.edu Research in this lab is focused on 3 projects. A. Regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in heart development and cancer. B. Mitochondrial transfer from stem cells to myocytes. C. Congenital heart disease from exposure to trichloroethylene.
Jin H. Song, PhD Assistant Professor/Research, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 626-9048 jinsong@email.arizona.edu I am interested in research that advances our knowledge on cancers including their biology, signal transduction and novel therapeutics.
Curtis Thorne, PhD Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Member, BIO5 Institute Member, University of Arizona Cancer Center Member, Steele Children's Research Center (520) 626-0395 curtisthorne@email.arizona.edu 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 Assistant Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine (520) 626-7756 warfelna@email.arizona.edu 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 Professor, BIO5 Institute (520) 626-2557 jeanw@email.arizona.edu 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.

Affiliated Faculty
Ronald Heimark, PhD Professor, Surgery Associate Professor, Pathology Associate Professor, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Professor, Ophthalmology (520) 626-1913 rheimark@email.arizona.edu

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