Hollings Cancer Center Members

Breast Cancer Surgeon and Cancer Outcomes Research

Pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies

The Lab will focus on ways of molecular targeted imaging of malignant lesions to early detect, treat, and prevent cancer.

Panomics, unique individual factors, and data science in cancer related health outcomes

Thoracic Medical Oncology

My work mainly focuses on improving cancer outcomes and mitigating disparities among underserved communities, as well as increasing access to and utilization of cancer preventive services in vulnerable and minoritized populations.

Molecular markers of cancer progression, outcome and therapies

Lymphoma Biology

Statistical design of early phase cancer trials and developing novel dose-finding methodology.

Development of adjunct methods through mindful breathing to improve cancer survivorship

To elucidate the mechanisms by which O-GlcNAc transferase modulates epigenetic regulators contributing to breast cancer stem cell initiation and metastasis

Malignant hematology with a focus in leukemias, myelodysplastic syndromes and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Tumor suppressor genes, targeted therapy, and tumor cell intrinsic functions

Alcohol and stress interactions that impact risk for and progression of various cancers.

My primary cancer-related research interests involve investigating the social-contextual and behavioral mechanisms underlying tobacco use and cessation to inform equitable prevention and intervention efforts that reduce tobacco-related cancer disparities.

My primary cancer research interest is applying advanced genomic and computational approaches to uncover the molecular mechanisms that drive tumor development, progression, and therapeutic response.

Managing all aspects of basic, translational, and clinical research and the development of the research enterprise

Tobacco cessation

Our research program is focused on defining the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of NF1-associated peripheral nerve sheath tumors and using that information to develop effective new therapies for these neoplasms

Clinical translational trials for head and neck and skin cancers

Development of novel therapeutics for myeloproliferative neoplasms

Studying ways to more rapidly disseminate evidence-based interventions to reduce the harms caused by tobacco use.

Optimizing equitable delivery of guideline concordant cancer care with an emphasis on postoperative venous thromboembolism prophylaxis

Development and evaluation of technology-based smoking cessation interventions for delivery within primary care

Understanding how cancers interact with the immune system to identify molecular determinants of immunogenicity and developing strategies to modulate immunogenicity to enhance response to immune checkpoint blockade therapies. My program's second focus is to understand how commonly mutated chromatin modifiers/remodelers, namely SETD2, BAP1 and PBRM1, contribute to the development and progression of kidney, lung and skin cancers and leveraging synthetic lethal dependencies created by loss-of-function of these genes to develop rational, targeted therapies

Mechanistic outcomes of aneuploidy in solid tumors, particularly high-grade serous ovarian cancer; RNA regulation

Liver cancer immune-oncology and metabolic heterogeneity

Cancer epidemiology and decision science, human papillomavirus, anal cancer, cervical cancer, oropharyngeal cancer

Bedside to bench to curbside (population) studies toward improving cancer diagnosis, treatment, prevention.

Improving cancer screening in primary care

Identification and molecular characterization of genetic alterations that impact cancer prognosis and therapeutics.

Discovering small molecules and biologics (recombinant protein therapeutics, monoclonal and bispecific antibodies) that serve as tools to interrogate new mechanisms in cancer biology and as potential drug candidates for future development.

Discovery and validation of glycan and glycoprotein biomarkers in tissues, cells and biofluids for prostate, breast, pancreas, colon, kidney and liver cancers

Elucidating the role of inflammation and inflammatory mediators in the progression of colon cancer

Regulation of gene expression during endoderm formation and differentiation

Dr. Eblen focuses on molecular mechanisms and therapeutics involving protein kinases and E3 ubiquitin ligases in the context of ovarian and breast cancers. 

Clinical Oncology

Lung and esophageal cancer

Investigating the role of Myosin Vb in regulating proliferation, migration, cell adhesion and glucose metabolism in healthy and cancer states.

My lab is focused on elucidating the role of epithelial purinergic signaling (an important route of cell communication) within gastrointestinal cancers, specifically colon cancer.

The study of how microbes influence cancer development and progression

Development of cancer therapies

Engineering immune cells as living drugs for solid tumors

My research focus is on developing and testing interventions to increase the participation of focal populations in cancer research and to increase adherence to evidence-based cancer prevention/control and treatment strategies.

Improving outcomes for patients with non-small cell lung cancer by improving utilization of biomarker testing that directs treatment decisions at the time of diagnosis, recurrence, and progression.

Delineate the molecular mechanisms by which the Piwi-piRNA pathway silences transposons and maintains genome integrity

The development and treatment of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer prevention research

Effects and biochemical mechanism of pharmacological targeting ion channels in solid tumors.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive malignancy

The development, evaluation, and implementation of multilevel interventions to improve the timeliness, equity, and quality of care delivery for patients with cancer along the care continuum

Cancer prevention via treatment development and clinical trials of interventions for tobacco, cannabis, and other substance use disorders

Targeted therapy for ovarian cancer

My cancer research interest is in clinical trials for urologic cancers (including prostate, bladder, and kidney).

Oral cancer and cell biology

Investigating the mechanisms linking the dysregulation of components of the innate immune system to the induction of intestinal inflammation, alterations of the intestinal microbiota and the development of CRC in colorectal cancer.

NF-kB signaling in the regulation of the development and progression of adult (pancreatic) and childhood (rhabdomyosarcoma) tumors and associated quality of life syndromes including cachexia

Loco-regional delivery of chemotherapy agents guided by imaging

The discovery and development of new natural product inhibitors of cancer that provide new and unusual targets

Origin, heterogeneity and function of pancreatic cancer associated fibroblasts in modulating the pancreatic cancer microenvironment.

Studies in Dr. Haque's laboratory are probing the factors responsible for immune evasion by G-cell lymphomas. While MHC class I-restricted CD8+ T cells are effector cells in anti-tumor immune responses, MHC class II-restricted CD4+ T cells can play critical roles in initiating, regulating, and maintaining anti-tumor immune responses. Since most B-cell tumors express MHC class II molecules, these tumors can be potential target for CD4+ T cells.

Hypofractionated Radiotherapy

Mitochondrial/metabolic adaptations in cancer driven by changes in cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) expression and subcellular localization and by changes in ploidy (genome copy number)

Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Pancreatic Cancer

Novel therapeutics in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)

Biostatistics

Epigenetics of Kidney Cancer

Mutant selective signaling in pancreatic cancer, the roles on metabolism, tumor microenvironment, and therapeutic sensitivity

TGFβ and RNA proteins and their regulation of tumor progression

Identifying and managing patients with pathogenic variants in cancer susceptibility genes, and building clinical decision support tools to make care more efficient and effective

Develop, test, and disseminate psychosocial and behavioral interventions to improve symptom management and quality of life in cancer survivors.  

The study of RNA silencing-based therapies for cancer, in particular, the development of peptide carrier-mediated targeted delivery strategies of therapeutic small RNA molecules for the treatment of oral cancer

To develop novel therapeutic strategies to overcome immunotherapy resistance in melanoma and other cancers.

Microbiome and cancer

BRCA and DNA repair related cancers (Variants of uncertain Significance)

Novel ways to evaluate response to immunotherapy and augment the response of patients to immune directed treatment approaches

The delivery of therapeutic transgenes for lung cancer using viral vectors including AAV.

Identifying and addressing the psychosocial support needs of cancer caregivers.

As a member of the Biostatistics Shared Resource, I collaborate with Hollings investigators on a wide-range of grant and clinical trial development, including numerous investigator-initiated trials.

Mechanism of anti-SFRP2 therapy in cancer

Interaction of epithelial cell-cel adhesion complexes and RNA-binding proteins in post-transcriptional suppression of oncogenes and of pro-tumorigenic transformation

Neuroblastoma, pediatric sarcomas, pediatric precision medicine and clinical trial development

My research is centered around finding novel enhanced cytokine formulations to immunotherapy of cancer.

Clinical related research in Thoracic, GI, and GU malignancies

Understanding how dysregulated subcellular localization contributes to tumorigenesis in both pediatric and adult cancers.

The development of improved methods for the identification, purification, culture and transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)

Cellular and molecular mechanisms of apoptosis and necrosis

Non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., transcranial magnetic stimulation) for smoking cessation in cancer patients

Clinical trials in gastric and esophageal cancers

Genome integrity and cancer predisposition

Allosteric control of tyrosine phosphorylation in oncogenic signaling cascades

Application of epidemiologic methods to facilitate the translation of prostate cancer biomarkers into improved health outcomes

Clinical Trial Development

Tobacco/nicotine product cessation and strategies to improve long-term abstinence, including the role of cannabis co-use on tobacco cessation outcomes, as well as the study of cannabis use disorder and its treatment

Cannabis, co-use of cannabis and tobacco

Examining the role of the sphingolipid pathway in the progression of osteosarcoma by the non-malignant osteoblasts in the tumor microenvironment

Identification of signaling pathways and other chemo preventive agents as t-cell response modifiers

Cancer Biomarkers

How modulation of endogenous interferon pathways in stem-cell derived hepatocytes affects hepatitis B virus, which is a major inducer of hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide

My research focuses on assessing and improving care and outcomes for cancer survivors and their caregivers.

I am interested in how alcohol exacerbates risk for developing cancer.

Modeling the colorectal tumor microenvironment using human pluripotent stem cell derived colonic organoids

I am focused on understanding the immune microenvironment of gynecologic malignancies particularly endometrial cancer.

Biostatistics

Head and Neck Cancer / Minority Health Disparities

Head and Neck Cancer

Characterization of the pathophysiology of single living cells, including the assessment of ion homeostasis, and other biochemical parameters

Developing novel approaches to inhibit oncogenic RAS

Engineer T cells for oncology applications and study adaptive immunity in the context of cancer

Methodological research using data science approaches on EHRs and SDOH to identify risks for health inequities and poor outcomes in cancer patients

Determining the mechanisms by which alterations in lipid metabolism and signaling regulate cancer growth, proliferation, metastasis, and response to chemotherapy or immunotherapy modalities

I am broadly active in translational science, clinical trials, prevention, novel surgical approaches, and survivorship to improving gynecologic cancers.

Signaling networks in the tumor microenvironment and how they impact tumor progression

Understanding and targeting genomic instability in cancers

Understanding the mechanisms that regulate anti-cancer functions of immune cells and immune tolerance

I am interested in cancer prevention broadly, with specific expertise in developing and testing tobacco treatment interventions, exploring the potential for tobacco harm reduction, and assessing population-level prevalence of tobacco use behaviors.

Examining the roles of Fc (GM) and Fcg receptor genes in the pathogenesis of cancer

Hormone driven and refractory cancers, cell signaling, bioenergetics, general drug discovery, biomarkers

New pathways important in patients with liver disease and the molecular basis of portal hypertension

Study of the mechanisms allowing brain tumors to relapse

Surgical Oncology

Cancer control, namely, tobacco treatment interventions for populations with medical comorbidities and implementing tobacco treatment interventions in the healthcare system

 Drug delivery of small and large molecules to difficult to access tumors

Elucidating the mechanisms of cancer therapeutics, drug resistance, and metastasis in breast cancer

Mutagenic mechanisms that contribute to carcinogenesis

Minimally invasive urologic oncology - laparoscopy and robotics

My primary research interest is to develop human models for pediatric brain cancers, utilizing these to clarify mechanisms of tumor initiation, the role of the tumor microenvironment and to identify therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Bioinformatics/biostatistical problems originating from cancer datasets

Racial prostate cancer disparities and the barriers that black men face to making informed decisions about prostate cancer screening

Screening for lung cancer, identifying biomarkers to reclassify risk of developing cancer, and lung nodule evaluation and management

Breast Cancer Research

Reducing tobacco use, a leading cause of cancer-related death and disease

Prevention and Control; Data Analytics and Visualization

To uncover new functional regions and novel drug targets in the RAS-MAPK pathway through the study of rare disease-associated mutations

Drug discovery, medicinal chemistry, and the elucidation of underlying receptor pharmacology to develop new anticancer therapeutics

Developing and testing digital health supportive care interventions to facilitate positive care transitions for cancer survivors and their caregivers while using implementation science principles to evaluate implementation processes

Meningioma Immunotherapy

Lung cancer diagnostics with a focus on lung cancer screening implementation and the evaluation of biomarkers for early risk and nodule characterization

Redox in drug development and mechanism

Preventing cancer through the development of novel therapeutics for tobacco and nicotine use

Understanding individual differences in cannabis and tobacco use to enhance treatment efforts

Role of the complement system in modulating cancer immunity

Combining advanced proteomics and drug metabolism with biochemistry to identify molecular targets of oxidative and nitrosative stress and to determine how redox modulation impacts protein folding and cell injury

Immune cell functions in autoimmune diseases

Identification of novel signaling pathways/interaction within cancer cells or cancer-immune cell interactions that can be targeted therapeutically to improve therapy efficacy and/or prevent cancer relapse/recurrence

Racial differences in immune and microbial responses and risk and outcomes in colorectal cancer

Prostate, kidney, bladder, testis cancer community-based, translational, survivorship, and outcomes.

Exploring the mechanisms of leukemia infiltration and immune evasion

Lipid metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells as it contributes to tumor progression and cancer disparities

Biobanking and independent research initiatives related to making genomic and family health history information more effectively used in health care

Pathological mechanisms of cisplatin ototoxicity and testing of otoprotective treatments targeting angiogenesis and vascular function in the inner ear

Novel therapeutic strategies and biomarkers for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

Determine extracellular physical and chemical environment and its impact on cell energy metabolism

Role of Opportunistic Bacteria in Cancer Development and Response to Therapy

Define the mechanisms by which the tumor microenvironment regulates cancer and immune cell communication to drive tumor progression

Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying genomic instability and exploring ways to target these mechanisms for cancer treatment. 

Hepatology and toxicology, especially on the roles of free radicals and mitochondrial dysfunction in liver injury, inflammation and fibrosis