Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute
Programs
The lifetime probability of developing cancer in the United States is 1 in 2 for men and 1 in 3 for women. In 2011 alone, cancer claimed the lives of >570,000 U.S. men, women and children. This highly complex family of diseases is characterized by aberrant regulation of myriad chemical and biologic processes at the cell, tissue and organ levels. The inherent systemic complexity complicates both cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, such that breakthrough-level discoveries necessitate a novel perspective conceived at the interface of chemistry, engineering, biology and medicine. Our mission at HCRI is to conduct innovative and integrative research to confront the complex challenges of cancer. The HCRI programmatic structure fosters such multi-disciplinary cancer research by promoting interactions among research groups with distinct expertise and by training young scientists to work across scientific fields.
Behavioral Oncology and Survivorship (BOS)
Program Co-Leaders
Tom Merluzzi, Dept. of Psychology
Kate Voelker, RiverBend Cancer Services
Investigators in the BOS program assess the impact of cancer diagnosis and treatment on patient, family and caregivers.
Ongoing research in BOS includes:
coping with cancer diagnosis, treatment and survivorship
distress in patients and survivors
quality of life
BOS Program Member Login
Cancer Genomics and Proteomics (CaGP)
Program Co-Leaders
Steve Buechler, Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics
Amanda Hummon, Dept. of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Investigators in the CGP Program use and/or develop genomic and/or proteomic approaches to investigate cancer-specific expression patterns and evaluate spatio-temporal control of expression in normal and neoplastic tissues
Ongoing research in CaGP includes:
genome screening
biological networks
high-throughput transcriptomics and proteomics
application of statistical methods to gene and protein expression data
protein expression in single cells
proteomics of three-dimensional structures
nanopore sequencing of single DNA molecules
characterization of post-translational modifications
CaGP Program Member Login
Cellular, Organotypic, and Animal Models of Malignancy (COAMM)
Program Co-Leaders:
Greg Timp, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Tracy Vargo-Gogola, Dept. of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Investigators in the COAMM Program develop cellular and organotypic culture systems to address mechanistic events in neoplasia and evaluate tumor development, progression, and metastasis in model organisms to incorporate the role of the complex tumor microenvironment and provide a platform for testing of novel therapeutics
Ongoing research in COAMM includes:
three-dimensional and organotypic cultures
ex vivo models of cell-tissue interaction
biomimetic tissue scaffolds
tumor-derived microvesicles
murine models of malignancy and metastasis
hemostasis and cancer
modeling chemoresistance
bone metastasis
COAMM Program Member Login
Computational Modeling, Drug Development and Delivery (CoMD3)
Program Co-Leaders:
Mark Alber, Department of Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics
Paul Helquist, Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Investigators in the CoMD3 program develop structural and computational approaches to evaluate and model neoplastic tissues and processes, and use novel synthetic approaches and nanotechnology to develop and deliver natural products, novel therapeutics and unique imaging agents
Ongoing research in CoMD3 includes:
computational modeling of events in metastasis
structure-based computational design of ligand-receptor interactions
targeting multi-valent biomolecular interactions
nanoparticle-based drug delivery
data mining and medical informatics
computational approaches to medical imaging
synthesis of natural products with anti-cancer activity
medicinal siderophore drugs for cancer treatment
design and delivery of anti-metastatic compounds
targeted imaging probes
computational modeling and inhibition of epigenetic modifiers
CoMD3 Program Member Login
Tumor Engineering, Bioanalytics and Molecular Detection (TEBMD)
Program Co-Leaders:
Chia Chang, Dept. of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Crislyn D’Souza-Schorey, Dept. of Biological Sciences
Investigators in the TEBMD program apply engineering, bioanalytic, and molecular detection approaches including microfluidics, novel detectors, and tissue mimetics for biomarker identification, tumor detection, and tumor mechanobiology
Ongoing research in TEBMD
single-cell analytics; chemical cytometry
biomimetic scaffold models of fibrosis and matrix rigidity
modeling the metastatic niche by live cell lithography
nanoscale molecular transport
micro- and nano-fluidic devices for point-of-care diagnostics
modeling intraperitoneal mechanobiology
novel probes for in vivo and in vitro imaging
production of diagnostic and therapeutic isotopes
TEBMD Program Member Login
