Our group is interested in understanding the metabolic adaptations that allow cancer cells to grow and proliferate, causing tumor growth. To understand how cancer cell metabolism works to fuel tumor growth, we use metabolomics techniques to catalog what nutrients are in the microenvironment of tumors. This provides us with a "menu" of nutrients that cancer cells could potentially metabolize to fuel their growth. Once we know the "menu" for different tumor types, we then use a variety of experimental tools from metabolomics to CRISPR gene editing to determine which nutrients cancer cells actually consume from the "menu", and which metabolic pathways process these nutrients. From these experiments, we are delineating the biochemical underpinnings of cancer cell growth.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
Post-doctoral fellow - Tumor Metabolism
2019
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
PhD - Biochemistry, Biophysics and Structural Biology
2015
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
BA/BA - Biology/Romance Languages and Literature
2009
Tumour interstitial fluid-enriched phosphoethanolamine suppresses T cell function.
Tumour interstitial fluid-enriched phosphoethanolamine suppresses T cell function. Nat Cell Biol. 2025 May; 27(5):835-846.
PMID: 40258951
CDKN2ALow cancer cells outcompete macrophages for microenvironmental zinc to drive immunotherapy resistance.
CDKN2ALow cancer cells outcompete macrophages for microenvironmental zinc to drive immunotherapy resistance. bioRxiv. 2025 Mar 26.
PMID: 39975044
Microenvironmental arginine restriction sensitizes pancreatic cancers to polyunsaturated fatty acids by suppression of lipid synthesis.
Microenvironmental arginine restriction sensitizes pancreatic cancers to polyunsaturated fatty acids by suppression of lipid synthesis. bioRxiv. 2025 Mar 13.
PMID: 40161789
Catabolism of extracellular glutathione supplies amino acids to support tumor growth.
Catabolism of extracellular glutathione supplies amino acids to support tumor growth. bioRxiv. 2024 Oct 13.
PMID: 39416022
Identifying metabolic limitations in the tumor microenvironment.
Identifying metabolic limitations in the tumor microenvironment. Sci Adv. 2024 Oct 04; 10(40):eadq7305.
PMID: 39356752
HYENA detects oncogenes activated by distal enhancers in cancer.
HYENA detects oncogenes activated by distal enhancers in cancer. Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Sep 09; 52(16):e77.
PMID: 39051548
Metabolic ripple effects - deciphering how lipid metabolism in cancer interfaces with the tumor microenvironment.
Metabolic ripple effects - deciphering how lipid metabolism in cancer interfaces with the tumor microenvironment. Dis Model Mech. 2024 Sep 01; 17(9).
PMID: 39284708
Tumor-associated macrophages restrict CD8+ T cell function through collagen deposition and metabolic reprogramming of the breast cancer microenvironment.
Tumor-associated macrophages restrict CD8+ T cell function through collagen deposition and metabolic reprogramming of the breast cancer microenvironment. Nat Cancer. 2024 Jul; 5(7):1045-1062.
PMID: 38831058
Metabolite profiling of human renal cell carcinoma reveals tissue-origin dominance in nutrient availability.
Metabolite profiling of human renal cell carcinoma reveals tissue-origin dominance in nutrient availability. Elife. 2024 May 24; 13.
PMID: 38787918
VHL loss reprograms the immune landscape to promote an inflammatory myeloid microenvironment in renal tumorigenesis.
VHL loss reprograms the immune landscape to promote an inflammatory myeloid microenvironment in renal tumorigenesis. J Clin Invest. 2024 Apr 15; 134(8).
PMID: 38618956