Program Leaders:

Welford, Scott, Ph.D.
Rai, Priyamvada, Ph.D.

Overview

Cancer research is gradually changing from a primary focus on individual gene mutations to a broader, more integrated perspective that includes cellular interactions within the complex biological landscape of tumors. The Tumor Biology (TB) Program at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center focuses on understanding:

• The cell biological processes that are altered during tumor initiation and progression.
• How cancers arise and progress.
• Key interactions between tumor and non-malignant tissue to ultimately develop promising new treatment strategies for cancer patients. By investigating instances of therapeutic failure and resistance, we work to identify molecular alterations that can lead to the development of evidence-based novel therapeutic approaches that target the biological and molecular features of cancer cells.

The Program’s mission is to apply cutting-edge technologies and utilize innovative in-vitro and in-vivo models of cancer to provide leading-edge care for cancer patients in Florida, the United States, and around the globe.

• Creating an environment of scientific excellence.
• Fostering collaborative and synergistic relationships with Sylvester members and investigators across the Miller School of Medicine and the University of Miami.
• Investing in promising new projects and investigators spanning the continuum of basic science, translational, and clinical research.

Program Goals

The TB Program is organized into three interrelated specific aims:

1. Elucidate mechanisms of tumor initiation: Members conduct comprehensive, collaborative research investigating the environmental cues and cell-intrinsic signaling mechanisms that underlie critical steps of tumor initiation.
2. Investigate the underpinnings of tumor progression and treatment resistance: Members are gaining insight into how tumors progress and acquire intrinsic tumor resistance in response to therapeutic challenges and innate or adaptive immune functions in the TME.
3. Determine the molecular vulnerabilities in cancer: Members are delineating the druggable molecular vulnerabilities in cancer cells to develop conceptually innovative, knowledge-based, therapeutic intervention strategies.

Program Members

• Abreu, Maria T., M.D.
• Agarwal, Ashutosh, Ph.D.
• Ahmad, Anis, Ph.D.
• Bayik Watson, Defne, Ph.D.
• Barber, Glen N., Ph.D.
• Bedogni, Barbara, Ph.D.
• Bilbao Cortes, Daniel, Ph.D., MBA
• Blomberg, Bonnie, Ph.D.
• Briegel, Karoline, Ph.D.
• Burnstein, Kerry L., Ph.D.
• Chakrabarti, Rumela, Ph.D.
• Chen, Zheng, M.D., Ph.D.
• Chen, Zhibin, M.D., Ph.D.
• Cocco, Emiliano, Ph.D.
• Daunert, Sylvia, Ph.D.
• El-Rifai, Wael, M.D., Ph.D.
• Isom, Daniel G., Ph.D.
• Landgraf, Ralf, Ph.D.
• Lim, Diane C, M.D.
• Meng, Zhipeng, Ph.D.
• Merchant, Nipun B., M.D.
• Nagathihalli, Nagaraj S., Ph.D.
• Rai, Priyamvada, Ph.D.
• Ramakrishnan, Sundaram, Ph.D.
• Roy, Sabita, Ph.D.
• Schally, Andrew V., Ph.D., MDHC, DScHC
• Serafini, Paolo, Ph.D.
• Shembade, Noula D., Ph.D.
• Stoyanova, Radka, Ph.D.
• Van der Jeught, Kevin, Ph.D.
• Villarino, Alejandro, V., Ph.D.
• Wang, Trent, P., D.O., MPH
• Welford, Scott, Ph.D.
• Xu, Xiangxi (Mike), Ph.D.
• Zaika, Alexander, Ph.D.
• Zhai, Grace, Ph.D.
• Zhang, Fangliang, Ph.D.