The Torcasso Lab investigates spatial patterns of disease within the native tissue environment, bridging scientific discovery and clinical application. Focusing on tumor–immune interactions, we develop and apply computational methods to analyze high-dimensional spatial proteomic and transcriptomic data, uncovering how cellular organization and communication drive disease progression and therapeutic response. By integrating AI with spatial omics, we seek to identify spatial biomarkers and gain mechanistic insight into the function and dysfunction of the tumor–immune microenvironment. In close partnership with clinical collaborators, we aim to understand how the spatial context of immune and stromal cells shapes cancer evolution and treatment resistance.
Virtual multiplex immunofluorescence identifies lymphocyte subsets predictive of response to neoadjuvant therapy.
Virtual multiplex immunofluorescence identifies lymphocyte subsets predictive of response to neoadjuvant therapy. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2025; 17:17588359251379411.
PMID: 41142474
Pseudo-spectral angle mapping for pixel and cell classification in highly multiplexed immunofluorescence images.
Pseudo-spectral angle mapping for pixel and cell classification in highly multiplexed immunofluorescence images. J Med Imaging (Bellingham). 2024 Nov; 11(6):067502.
PMID: 39664650
BRWD1 establishes epigenetic states for germinal center initiation, maintenance, and function.
BRWD1 establishes epigenetic states for germinal center initiation, maintenance, and function. bioRxiv. 2024 Apr 28.
PMID: 38712068
Towards standardising retinal OCT angiography image analysis with open-source toolbox OCTAVA.
Towards standardising retinal OCT angiography image analysis with open-source toolbox OCTAVA. Sci Rep. 2024 03 12; 14(1):5979.
PMID: 38472220
Pseudo-spectral angle mapping for automated pixel-level analysis of highly multiplexed tissue image data.
Pseudo-spectral angle mapping for automated pixel-level analysis of highly multiplexed tissue image data. bioRxiv. 2024 Jan 11.
PMID: 38260318
Specific in situ inflammatory states associate with progression to renal failure in lupus nephritis.
Specific in situ inflammatory states associate with progression to renal failure in lupus nephritis. J Clin Invest. 2022 07 01; 132(13).
PMID: 35608910
Artificial Intelligence and Cellular Segmentation in Tissue Microscopy Images.
Artificial Intelligence and Cellular Segmentation in Tissue Microscopy Images. Am J Pathol. 2021 10; 191(10):1693-1701.
PMID: 34129842
Quantifying the effects of biopsy fixation and staining panel design on automatic instance segmentation of immune cells in human lupus nephritis.
Quantifying the effects of biopsy fixation and staining panel design on automatic instance segmentation of immune cells in human lupus nephritis. J Biomed Opt. 2021 01; 26(2).
PMID: 33420765
Fluorescence modeling of in vivo optical detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Fluorescence modeling of in vivo optical detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Biomed Opt Express. 2019 Oct 01; 10(10):5445-5460.
PMID: 31646057
Light scattering by pulmonary alveoli and airway surface liquid using a concentric sphere model.
Light scattering by pulmonary alveoli and airway surface liquid using a concentric sphere model. Opt Lett. 2018 Oct 15; 43(20):5001-5004.
PMID: 30320804