Research Summary
The central aim of my lab’s research is to develop novel biomarkers to non-invasively measure oncogene activity in cancer to improve diagnosis and the assessment of drug pharmacodynamics. This is a highly interdisciplinary research program, and I recruit students and postdocs that generally have a specialized background (i.e. a strong training in organic chemistry or cell biology, but not both), and train them in the other areas required of a well round molecular imaging researcher. Our projects span all aspects of biomarker development, from discovery with “omic” technologies, to refinement of lead agents to improve bioactivity in vivo. The majority of our de novo radiotracer development focuses on small molecule organic chemistry, and our antibody radiotracer development programs involves new bioconjugation chemistry, and defining and exploiting the biological mechanisms that underwrite the aberrant expression of cell surface receptors in cancer.
Research Funding
June 1, 2020 - May 31, 2023 - Detection of the glucocorticoid receptor with PET in treatment resistant castration resistant prostate cancer, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: W81XWH-20-1-0354
July 1, 2018 - March 31, 2022 - Development of a translational imaging tool as a predictive biomarker for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapies, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NIBIB, Sponsor Award ID: R01EB025207
October 15, 2018 - October 14, 2021 - Precision Targeting of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer with a Novel Ferrous IronDependent Therapeutic Delivery and Tumor Imaging Strategy, co-Principal Investigator. Sponsor: Prostate Cancer Research Program, Sponsor Award ID: W81XWH-18-1-0763
July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2021 - Development of a biomarker for imaging mTORC1 activity with PET, PI. Sponsor: American Cancer Society, Sponsor Award ID: 130635-RSG-17-005-01-CCE
Education
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, MD, BA, 2001, Chemistry
The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, PhD, 2007, Chemical Biology
Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, Postdoctoral, 2013, Molecular Imaging, Cancer Biology