Dr.Cai M. Roberts, Ph.D.

My laboratory focuses on connections between two leading causes of mortality in cancer: metastasis and drug resistance. In order to metastasize, many cancers must undergo a process known as epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT allows cells to break free from their neighbors and survive while floating, in turn allowing them to travel around the body and give rise to additional tumors. In studying cancer cell lines and modeling EMT in the lab, we have found that in ovarian cancer, this process leads to different responses to common cancer drugs under different circumstances. Sometimes, mesenchymal cells develop resistance, sometimes they are rendered more sensitive. Our goals are to understand why this happens, so we can predict drug efficacy and design new treatment approaches to help patients overcome metastatic and recurrent cancers. LinkedIn Profile

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