We are a cancer biology lab with a research focus on 1. Brain tumors and 2. Extrachromosomal oncogene DNA amplification. In particular, we study the process of tumor evolution and therapy resistance. We use high-throughput sequencing, computational analysis and functional studies in our research.
New lab space
Since the 2023 move, the lab was using space in Yale’s Sterling Hall of Medicine, generously made available by our friends from the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. Last week, we moved into a freshly remodeled lab space in the Tompkins East/Farnam Memorial building. We are excited to be rubbing shoulders with colleagues in our own Department of Neurosurgery.
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Paper in Nature: IDH-mutant glioma phenotype and genotype changes in response to therapy.
The Verhaak Lab, together with collaborators at Massachusetts General Hospital, the Weizmann Institute of Science, and the University of Miami, published a new study in Nature on June 3 examining how IDH-mutant gliomas evolve during disease progression and recurrence.
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Thesis defense Bianca Marin
Bianca Marin, who is enrolled in the MD/PhD program at UConn Health, successfully defended her dissertation titled Molecular Mechanisms of Glioblastoma Initiation and Progression. Her committee members were highly impressed by her oral defense as well as her thesis and Bianca has now completed all PhD requirements for the program. Congratulations, Bianca, we will miss you!
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Paper in Neuro-Oncology: Single-cell transcriptomics to evaluate an experimental brain tumor therapy.
A collaboration with the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, a research institute affiliated with Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, resulted in a new publication in Neuro-Oncology.
Kevin Johnson, PhD, together with Ivy co-authors led by Drs. Nader Sanai, Shwetal Mehta, An-Chi Tien and others, reported results of a Phase 0/1 clinical trial combining two targeted drugs ribociclib (CDK4/6 inhibitor) and everolimus (mTOR inhibitor) in recurrent high-grade glioma patients, aiming to identify brain-penetrant combinations and assess their impact on malignant cell states.
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Publication in Cancer Research Communications: Lentiviral transduction selectively depletes cells with ecDNA.
In a new publication in Cancer Research Communications, Eunhee Yi, PhD, and co-authors report the surprising observation that lentiviral transduction results in diminished numbers of ecDNA-containing cells. Lentiviral transduction is a method commonly used to genetically engineer cells. When transducing heterogeneous mixtures of ecDNA(+) and ecDNA(-) cells, Eunhee observed that ecDNA(-) appeared to have a selective advantage. In fact, multiple rounds of lentiviral transduction completely removed ecDNA(+) cells. This project was a collaboration with the Cancer Grand Challenges eDynamic team.
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