My laboratory is focused on a number of areas related to radiation exposure. This includes NASA funded projects to characterize radiation-induced hepatocellular carcinoma and to determine whether there are sex differences in the risk for radiation-induced lung cancers after exposure to radiations associated with the radiation environment of deep space. We are developing biomarkers of the oncogenic process in these tissues and testing a chemical radiation countermeasure (GC4419, Galera Therapeutics) to space radiation exposures. We identified the anti-tumor effects of GC4419 specific to high dose per fraction radiation exposures and my laboratory identified the interphase specific anti-tumor properties of Tumor-Treating Fields. We are involved in high dose per fraction radiobiology which overlaps with another area of research, that being the development of new approaches to radiotherapy using drug, immune oncology and tumor treating fields to enhance adaptive radiotherapy approaches including Personalized Ultrafractionated Adaptive Radiotherapy (PULSAR). Last, and intimately related to the other areas of interest is the radiobiology of charge particle radiotherapy to understand the novel effects of charged particles on head and neck and pancreatic tumors including gene expression analysis, changes in metastatic and vascular signaling and combined modalities using agents that target specific vulnerabilities or pathways to make charged particle therapy more effective.
As vice-Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology and Director of the Pre-Clinical Radiation Core Facility, we have committed significant resources for technology that allow us to mimic clinical exposures using treatment planning CT-guided irradiation, MR-guided and PET/CT-guided treatment planning in small animal models.
Disclosures:
- Employment: none
- Compensation: none
- Ownership: none
- Leadership: none