Investigators

Summary

Dr. Sabik is a health economist and health services researcher focused on investigating how state and federal policies affect healthcare access, utilization, and health outcomes among low-income and underserved populations, with a particular focus on cancer care. Recent and ongoing projects she leads examining the role of state health policy in access to cancer screening, timely diagnosis, and treatment for underserved groups have been funded by the National Cancer Institute, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the American Cancer Society. She has also served as an…

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Dr. Saeed’s research efforts are focused on immune modulatory approaches in patients with gastric & esophageal cancer, colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma as well as chemoprevention/ immunoprevention in the high-risk GI population. She has published more than 150 peer reviewed papers, posters and book chapters, and have led more than 40 clinical trials, focused on various immune modulatory regimens including but not limited to immune checkpoint inhibitor combinations with chemotherapy, other checkpoint inhibitors, antibody drug conjugates, bi-specific T cell engagers (BiTE),…

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I am a clinical investigator who designs clinical trials in the space of colorectal cancer for drug development. My clinical research interests are targeted therapeutics and immunotherapy. I also collaborate with translational scientists to conduct correlative sciences. My translational research interests include understanding resistance mechanisms to immunotherapy, biomarkers analysis for immune response and investigating mechanisms of resistance to targeted…

Summary

The Saloman lab focuses on how peripheral nerves shape the incipient tumor microenvironment. Current studies are designed to understand how sensory and sympathetic nerves regulate anti-tumor immunity and cancer pain. Several immune checkpoint proteins are expressed by the neurons that innervate the pancreas and ongoing experiments are investigating the role of these signaling molecules in regulation of the tumor microenvironment. Our overall goal is to understand the role of neural circuits to cancer biology and to harness this knowledge to improve early detection as well as…

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Dr. Sayette's research focuses on psychological theories of alcohol use and abuse, cigarette smoking, and drug craving, and on cognitive, affective, and social processes in addiction.

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I am interested in further advancing our research and leveraging our findings for precision oncology. The HCC provides an ideal interdisciplinary environment for these efforts. I am focused on the below research areas:1. Molecular mechanisms of human nucleotide excision repair (NER)• Biochemical, cellular, structural and single molecule studies of damage recognition, complex assembly and dual incision in NER• Determining the activity of NER proteins on DNA adducts formed by antitumor agents• Development of new assays for monitoring NER activity in biochemical and cellular…

Summary

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) causes severe pain and stress, which exceeds the levels seen in other cancers. Beyond sensory/pain signaling, the peripheral nervous system has been identified as a component of the cancer microenvironment and may be involved in modulating tumor progression and tumor-associated immunity. The cancer microenvironment is comprised of stromal cells, glial cells, immune cells, neurons (e.g., motor, sensory, sympathetic) and proliferating tumor cells. The Scheff lab seeks to integrate the neurobiology, cancer biology, and immunology fields to fully…

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My primary research interest is in the integration of palliative care services in oncology, with a particular focus on developing new models to improve provision of 'primary' palliative care within oncology practices. Secondary research interests include goals of care discussions, quality of life, healthcare policy in serious illness, surrogate decision making, informed consent, and the impact of language and cultural barriers on patient-clinician…

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I am an exercise oncology researcher. My work focuses on large clinical trials related to physical activity and cancer, across the cancer control continuum, from primary prevention to addressing the needs of advanced cancer patients. The central mission of my work is to make exercise standard of care in oncology. Therefore, in addition to the efficacy trials my lab conducts, I am also actively involved in national and international efforts related to implementation of exercise for people living with and beyond cancer. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is a vibrant community of science with an…

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My research interests center on applying a Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) approach that integrates experimental and computational analyses to understand disease and drug mechanisms, which will lead to developing more effective therapeutic strategies.

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I am a PhD-prepared biostatistician and have collaborated with cancer researchers, primarily in the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, for more than 25 years in the area of behavioral and biomedical science, particularly symptom science and the possible toxic effects of cancer treatments and their impact on adherence to cancer treatments.

Summary

Dr. Shadel's research ranges from basic human laboratory work designed to understand the biopsychosocial mechanisms that contribute to smoking initiation and cessation, to the evaluation of cognitive-behavioral and pharmacological smoking cessation interventions in the clinic and public health settings. He has been continuously funded as a principal investigator by the National Cancer Institute and National Institute on Drug Abuse since 1999. Dr. Shadel's current grants examine how tobacco advertising contributes to adolescent smoking behavior, and the psychosocial mechanisms that underlie…

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The Shair Lab studies the human tumor virus “Epstein-Barr virus,” a ubiquitous herpesvirus with 90-95% seropositivity among adults worldwide. The resulting chronic infection can lead to EBV-associated cancer, which can occur in the immune-competent, and the immune-compromised such as post-transplant patients and HIV+ patients. A major focus is to translate these molecular studies to benefit cancer risk assessment and to elucidate EBV molecular pathogenesis in EBV-associated B-cell lymphomas and epithelial cell cancers. One EBV-associated cancer we study is nasopharyngeal carcinoma…

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The Sheikh lab is interested in understanding how various oncogenic drivers impact the response to DNA damage agents in pediatric CNS malignancies. Furthermore, we seek to determine how the alterations in the metabolome of pediatric CNS malignancies impact the response to DNA damage agents. Our ultimate goal is identify novel synergistic therapies that enhance the cell death response of pediatric brain tumors to DNA…

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My primary research focus is on biobehavioral interactions in persons with cancer and neurologic conditions. I am particularly interested in the area of neuro-oncology, working with both patients and family caregivers to improve outcomes and health care delivery.

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Dr. Shiffman's research focuses on tobacco use and nicotine dependence and their development, the nicotine withdrawal syndrome, smoking relapse, behavioral and pharmacological treatment for smoking, and tobacco control. Dr. Shiffman is currently conducting two trials, both focused on non-daily smokers, who are a substantial and growing fraction of adult smokers. The first study focuses on assessing the effects of switching to very low nicotine content cigarettes (VLNCCs) among intermittent smokers (ITS). This is a two-arm randomized study with an own-cigarette baseline control. After a…

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Studies on animal polyomaviruses have provided a wealth of information for cancer biology. Research on the simian and murine polyomaviruses (SV40 and PyV) led to the discovery of tumor suppressor proteins p53 and retinoblastoma (pRb) and unveiled the importance of tyrosine kinase activities in tumorigenic signaling. Our research exploits the human Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCV) that causes most Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), a rare but deadly skin cancer that exhibits similarity to the tactile sensor “Merkel cells”. Despite the rarity of MCC, MCV infection is common, and nearly all healthy…

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Our research program focuses on the mechanisms of cellular and molecular interactions in the tumor microenvironment. The elements of the tumor microenvironment can collectively exert both stimulatory and inhibitory pressures on the proliferative, angiogenic, neurogenic and immunomodulating potential of cancerous cells, as well as their ability to spread and metastasize. Thus, insights into the mechanisms regulating host responses to growing tumors are essential for assessing relative risks and improving the therapeutic index for novel therapies associated with the modulation of the…

Summary

My research has focused predominantly in the pathobiology of lung cancer and how the tumor microenvironment affects the natural biology and response to treatment. Working in collaboration with colleagues from the department of medical oncology we have discovered multiple possible biomarkers for disease management. In the future, I would like to integrate digital pathology analysis platforms into these studies. Specific topics of current investigation include: 1) Small cell lung carcinoma subtypes and genomics; 2) Morphologic features of lung cancer and its stroma, impact on natural biology;…

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My research focuses on the intersection of media and health, with a particular interest in investigating how we can use media and technology in ways that promote health. My work has examined the association between social media use and mental health outcomes, the spread of misinformation on social media, and online marketing of emerging tobacco products (e.g. hookah, e-cigarettes). Much of this work uses novel methodologies such as combining in-depth qualitative, quantitative, and social network data. I am currently conducting pilot trials in area high schools to test a media literacy-based…

Summary

Jonathan Silverstein, MD, MS, FACS, FACMI, serves as Chief Research Informatics Officer and Professor of Biomedical Informatics at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is internationally known for his expertise, and federally funded research, in the application of advanced computing architectures to biomedicine and on the design, implementation and evaluation of high-performance collaboration and visualization environments for anatomic education and…

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The primary research interests of the Singh laboratory include molecular characterization of novel cancer chemopreventive agents and rational design of mechanism-driven combination chemoprevention regimens. Cellular and transgenic animal models are used to screen potential cancer chemopreventive constituents from dietary and medicinal plants. Cutting edge cellular, molecular biological, omics (metabolomics and proteomics), structural biology, and imaging techniques (MRI and bioluminescence) are used to (a) determine the mechanism of action of promising cancer chemopreventive agents, (b)…

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Dr. Singhi's current research focus is primarily translational in the area of gastrointestinal, pancreatic, hepatobiliary and peritoneal pathology, and can be summarized in the following areas: (1) Clinical diagnostic test development. In conjunction with other members of pathology, gastroenterology, surgical oncology and radiology, Dr. Singhi has been involved in the development of multiple clinical diagnostic tests for the evaluation of pancreatic cysts, biliary strictures, neuroendocrine tumors, and early detection of neoplasms involving the hepatopancreatobiliary tract. His research…

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Heath D. Skinner, MD, PhD, is a Professor in as well as the Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. In addition to his leadership and clinical duties, Dr. Skinner maintains an active, translational research laboratory focused upon identifying novel, clinically targetable biomarkers of resistance to radiation. His group utilizes "big data" approaches to clinical specimens as well as in vivo screening techniques to generate novel targets for study. These targets are then further investigated in vitro,…

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In theory, inhibition of undesirable enzymatic activity responsible for disease can be accomplished either directly at the active site or indirectly at a distance (allostery). Important examples of selective enzyme inhibition come from the field of protein-tyrosine kinases, an emerging therapeutic target class for cancer and infectious diseases. Virtually all clinically useful kinase inhibitors to date compete for ATP binding at the kinase domain active site. However, the high degree of protein kinase sequence and structural homology limits the development of highly selective ATP-competitive…

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The focus of the research in the laboratory is currently split into two major directions which are apparently distinct from each other with respect to the biological systems involved, their relation to the human disease, and experimental models used. However, the main idea underlying both directions is conceptually the same - to understand how endocytosis and post-endocytic trafficking regulates function(s) of the transmembrane proteins, such as receptors and transporters. The first direction is the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms of endocytosis of growth factor receptors using a…

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Dr. Stabile's laboratory is focused on the role of growth factors and hormones in the development of non-small cell lung cancer. Estrogen receptor signaling has been shown to be important in inducing proliferation in lung tumor preclinical models as well as promoting aggressive disease in lung cancer patients. We have demonstrated both genomic and non-genomic effects of estrogen in the lung and have elucidated cross-talk between the estrogen signaling pathway and multiple growth factor pathways including epidermal growth factor receptor, fibroblast growth factor receptor, hepatocyte…

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Cell cycle dysregulation is a hallmark of every tumor. My lab uses quantitative single-cell microscopy and machine learning to study how the cell cycle changes during tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug treatment, and the role of tumor microenvironment in regulating the proliferative state of a patient's tumor. Ultimately, our goal is to predict disease outcomes and therapeutic success by looking directly at the phenotype driving tumor growth — the cancer cell…

Summary

Dr. St. Croix is a tenured Professor of Cell Biology and an Associate Director of the CBI. She has been a PI or co-I on NIH-funded R01s, P01s and R21s, and has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2005.  A major focus of the St. Croix laboratory is the use of advanced optical imaging technologies to dissect molecular signaling pathways controlling vascular function in rodent and zebrafish model systems of disease. Within the CBI, Dr. St Croix manages and directs the use and application of fluorescence-based optical microscopy with an emphasis on advanced tools multiparametric live…

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My research interest including designing and testing novel psychosocial and behavioral interventions, including stepped collaborative care interventions, to improve quality of life in those with chronic medical conditions, psychoneuroimmunology, and caregiving.  

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Dr. Steinman has interrogated the function and regulation of cdk inhibitors during quiescence and differentiation. His recent research focuses on the contribution of platelets to tumorigenesis and on potential platelet-based urinary biomarkers of treatment efficacy. He also oversees three programs involving over 190 physician scientist trainees and conducts related educational research.

Summary

Dr. Donna Beer Stolz is the Associate Director of the Center for Biologic Imaging, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Professor in the Departments of Cell Biology and Pathology at the University of Pittsburgh. She has been the director of the Electron Microscopy arm if the CBI since 1997. Prior to arriving at the university, Dr. Stolz received her BS in Biochemistry in 1986 and a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 1991 from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Dr. Stolz is the author/coauthor of over 370 publications from her work at the Center for Biologic Imaging as…

Summary

My laboratory studies tumor immunobiology and designs immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer based on results from translational modeling. My near-term research goal remains the development of novel phase I/II clinical trials for the treatment of patients with cancer, with a focus on melanoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Such treatment modalities include dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines, cytokine gene-modified DC injected directly into tumor lesions and combination treatment approaches integrating agents that modulate tumor cell immune recognition and/or alter the balance or Type-1…