Investigators

Summary

My broad areas of expertise include human hematopoietic and leukemia stem cell biology. My research is focused on (1) understanding miRNA control of the molecular and signaling pathways that direct the cellular fate of normal and malignant human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and (2) elucidating the developmental, cellular and molecular origins of adult and pediatric leukemia. My research is guided by multi-omic analysis of primary patient samples/tissues and utilizes functional genomics in combination with xenotransplantation into immune deficient…

Summary

The laboratory studies the molecular basis of breast cancer development and resistance to therapy, with the goal to improve precision medicine and outcomes for breast cancer patients. The laboratory employs a systems biology approach, utilizing a combination of single cell and bulk sequencing, computational methods, and biological models to identify and validate new drivers and therapeutic targets. Hypotheses are tested in vitro and in vivo and then moved to clinical trials. The majority of studies incorporate analysis of human specimens, in collaboration with a large network of clinicians…

Summary

Many noncoding (nc)RNAs execute diverse cellular functions and are equally important as their coding counterparts. In recent years, owing to the development of cutting-edge technology, such as next-generation sequencing, the detection of ncRNAs and elucidation of their functions have been facilitated. However, compared to the large number of identified ncRNAs, only a minute fraction has been ascribed a specific function, as more and more surprising aspects regarding their mode of action are being uncovered.Our lab studies the molecular function of two enigmatic ncRNAs from the Epstein-Barr…

Summary

We use live-cell experiments and mathematical models to understand how single cells process information in inflammatory diseases and cancer. To decide between irreversible cell fates such as growth, differentiation or death, cells process information about their environment through a network of molecular circuits. Our research combines principles of systems and synthetic biology with large-scale data to understand how information flows through these circuits. By observing input-output relationships in the same cell using microfluidics, live-cell dynamics and single-molecule microscopy, we aim…

Summary

I specialize in health informatics, with a focus on enhancing the structure and delivery of health information through AI systems tailored to individual needs. Most recently, I served as the Principal Investigator of an NIH-funded project (R01LM013038) that developed HELPeR—Health E-Librarian with Personalized Recommendations, a hybrid recommender system designed to support ovarian cancer patients in navigating online health resources. The system combines recommender algorithms and personalized user modeling to increase the use of relevant information and support patient self-management.…

Summary

Michele D. Levine, PhD, a licensed clinical and health psychologist, is Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Levine’s program of research focuses on relationships among health behaviors and mental health during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Dr. Levine also directs a T32 postdoctoral training grant and an affiliated clinical psychology internship training program at Western Psychiatric Hospital, both of which support clinical research…

Summary

The main research interest in Dr. Gang Li's lab is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the contribution of disease-associated, non-coding functional SNPs to aging-related diseases by focusing on Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis. Dr. Li's lab has developed multiple techniques such as Reel-seq, SNP-seq, FREP/SDCP-MS and AIDP-Wb to identify the causal SNPs as well as the SNP-bound regulatory proteins based on genome wide association studies (GWAS). The lab's goal is to use human genetics (GWAS) as a guide to identify new drug targets and, ultimately, to…

Summary

I am an early-career researcher with a strong passion for cancer-related research. The goal of the my lab is to unravel the molecular and cellular mechanisms driving immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment, with a particular focus on CD8+ regulatory T cells. We will leverage cutting-edge technologies, mouse tumor models and patient-derived specimens to drive scientific advancements in the field of cancer immunology and human…

Summary

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the causative agent of nasopharyngeal cancer (a type of head and neck cancer), stomach cancer and several types of lymphomas. Each year 200,000 cancers worldwide are caused by EBV. The presence of EBV in cancer cells also provides a unique opportunity for targeted therapy by forcing tumor cells to reactivate latent EBV. The Li lab is focusing on understanding the molecular mechanisms by which viral and host factors control the transition of EBV from latency to reactivation with a goal of developing novel therapeutic strategies to cure EBV-associated…

Summary

Dr. Li has broad knowledge in medicine, biology, and drug and gene delivery and has established a strong research program centered at the interface of biology and biotechnology. His lab has developed several novel delivery systems that are aimed to solve major issues in his fields through improved understanding of the fundamental aspects of drug formulations and comprehensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) study. His group proposed the concept of “new amphiphilic surfactants with interfacial drug-interactive motif”, which has helped to solve the problem of formulating many…

Summary

Prior to joining Pitt SPH, I served as the Associate Director for Population Sciences of the Tulane University Cancer Center for 15 years. I represented Tulane on the NCI GMAP region 2 consortium. My cancer-related research focuses on cancer health disparities locally and globally with a special emphasis on the Caribbean. Of special interest is the role exposures to chemicals and non-chemicals stressors play in cancer development. Additionally, I am a board member of the Intercultural Cancer Council (ICC), and appointed chair of the board effective January 2024.…

Summary

The Liu Lab studies several medically important bacterial virulence factors, including anthrax toxins, in bacterial pathogenesis. Through investigating the interactions of these protein toxins and their mammalian hosts, we are interested in discovering the toxins’ molecular targets and understanding the molecular mechanisms of pathophysiology. We study how these toxins alter key signal transduction pathways, in particular the RAS and ERK pathways, in cancer cells and tumor stromal cells, and we use the knowledge obtained to design and develop novel bacterial toxin-based anti-tumor drugs…

Summary

Dr. Lohmueller’s laboratory focuses on engineering synthetic receptors and gene circuits to improve adoptive cell therapies to treat cancer. Two major goals of the lab include enhancing receptor targeting specificity as well as remediating suppression of the anti-tumor immune response. One area of technology development is engineering universal chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) capable of multi-antigen targeting and tunable receptor activity. These receptors potentially allow for treating a variety of cancers, while avoiding cancer relapse, and alleviating therapy-related…

Summary

Dr. Lotze's primary area of research is broadly in tumor immunology, particularly the role of cellular therapy using dendritic cells, T cells, and NK cells. His current research interests include the further identification of clinical biomarkers and surrogates in the setting of cancer, the role of cell death pathways and autophagy, the nuclear protein high molecular group B1 [HMGB1] and other Damage Associated Molecular Pattern Molecules [DAMPs] in tissue injury, repair, and cancer. He is currently preparing major reviews on the role of costimulation as part of the therapeutic approach…

Summary

Dr. Low is a clinical health psychologist focused on using consumer mobile technology including wearable devices and smartphones for remote monitoring of symptoms and functioning during cancer treatment. Her team is interested in using these real-world data to predict clinical outcomes, to support patient self-management and patient-provider communication, and to personalize behavioral interventions aimed at optimizing quality of…

Summary

Using computational method to search for driver somatic genome alterations, such as somatic mutations, copy number alterations, that are related to cancer development.Formulating the biological problems into graph or statistical problems.Designing efficient exact algorithms for the hard computational problems.

Summary

Jason J. Luke, MD, FACP, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center where he is Associate Director for Clinical Research and the Director of the Immunotherapy and Drug Development Center (Phase I). Dr. Luke specializes in early phase drug development for solid tumors (particularly novel immunotherapeutics and biomarkers of immunotherapy activity) as well as the management of melanoma.  Dr. Luke is one of the foremost international investigators in the realm of immuno-oncology, having led clinical trials of…

Summary

Dr. Luo's research is in the area of genome and gene expression studies of malignancies, especially in understanding how liver and prostate cancers obtain invasive and metastatic capabilities. Dr. Luo's laboratory in the past has primarily focused on the isolation and characterization of genes which are inactivated in liver and prostate cancers. His laboratory is currently focusing on characterizing oncogenic fusion genes in human malignancies and developing fusion gene targeting tools to diagnose and treat human cancers. Dr. Luo is also interested in developing long-read sequencing…

Summary

Dr. Luu has a broad background in medicine and epidemiology, with specific training and expertise in the molecular and genetic epidemiology of cancer as well as large population-based studies. His main research focuses on etiological role of genetic factors, lifestyle factors, and environment exposures, particularly chronic inflammation, in the development of cancer as well as their impact on prognosis of cancer patients, particularly patients with gastrointestinal cancers such as colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and liver…