Research Emphasis on the Molecular Basis for Cancer

The cancer faculty in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences are interested in studying the molecular basis of cancer initiation and metastatic progression. This involves using molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and in vivo animal models to unravel novel signaling pathways in an effort to uncover new drug targets for treating cancer. The faculty also are attempting to understand why cancer cells develop drug resistance, a common problem in cancer treatment, and are working on identifying drugs that combat resistance.