Our Research
Our laboratory focuses on translational genomics and cancer precision medicine in breast cancer. The lab is based at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, and is part of the DFCI/Broad/BWH Center for Cancer Precision Medicine. The major goals of our work are to better understand the biology of metastatic breast cancer and to develop new ways to overcome or prevent drug resistance in patients with advanced breast cancer.
We have an ongoing program in which we collect serial metastatic biopsies and blood samples from patients with resistant metastatic breast cancer and utilize a variety of genomic and molecular approaches to characterize these tumors. Laboratory projects focus on novel mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies, including candidate mechanisms identified in resistant tumor samples.
We have a particular interest in understanding mechanisms of extraordinary responses to cancer therapies by studying patients with exquisite sensitivity or unexpected durable responses to targeted agents. We also focus on developing approaches for cancer precision medicine, including applying new technology as well as novel approaches for the analysis and interpretation of genomic information for use by clinicians and patients. Ultimately, through all of these approaches we aim to identify characteristics of tumors that might improve clinical decision-making for patients with advanced cancer.
Another major focus of our lab is the development of patient-researcher partnership initiatives to accelerate research. In 2015 we launched The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project (mbcproject.org), a nationwide direct-to-patient research initiative that engages patients with advanced breast cancer through social media and seeks to empower them to accelerate cancer research through sharing their samples and clinical information. The project’s outreach program, developed in collaboration with advocacy organizations and patients, serves to connect thousands of patients around the country with metastatic breast cancer research, allowing them to participate regardless of where they live. We will continue to explore novel ways to partner with patients to accelerate research, in breast cancer as well as other cancers.
For anyone interested in working with us or collaborating, there is a wide range of research opportunities available, including laboratory research projects, genomics and computational biology projects, clinical/translational research focused in precision medicine, and projects focused on epidemiology/patient outcomes.
We have an ongoing program in which we collect serial metastatic biopsies and blood samples from patients with resistant metastatic breast cancer and utilize a variety of genomic and molecular approaches to characterize these tumors. Laboratory projects focus on novel mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies, including candidate mechanisms identified in resistant tumor samples.
We have a particular interest in understanding mechanisms of extraordinary responses to cancer therapies by studying patients with exquisite sensitivity or unexpected durable responses to targeted agents. We also focus on developing approaches for cancer precision medicine, including applying new technology as well as novel approaches for the analysis and interpretation of genomic information for use by clinicians and patients. Ultimately, through all of these approaches we aim to identify characteristics of tumors that might improve clinical decision-making for patients with advanced cancer.
Another major focus of our lab is the development of patient-researcher partnership initiatives to accelerate research. In 2015 we launched The Metastatic Breast Cancer Project (mbcproject.org), a nationwide direct-to-patient research initiative that engages patients with advanced breast cancer through social media and seeks to empower them to accelerate cancer research through sharing their samples and clinical information. The project’s outreach program, developed in collaboration with advocacy organizations and patients, serves to connect thousands of patients around the country with metastatic breast cancer research, allowing them to participate regardless of where they live. We will continue to explore novel ways to partner with patients to accelerate research, in breast cancer as well as other cancers.
For anyone interested in working with us or collaborating, there is a wide range of research opportunities available, including laboratory research projects, genomics and computational biology projects, clinical/translational research focused in precision medicine, and projects focused on epidemiology/patient outcomes.