Cancer Microenvironment
The Cancer Microenvironment research program leverages expertise in cancer immunology, niche biology, radiation effects, and novel bioengineering tools to understand mechanistically and manipulate immune and mesenchymal cell populations that regulate normal stem cells but are hijacked to support cancer stem cells.
Wilmot research teams are focused on benign and malignant stem cells and radiation biology in cancers that are heavily impacted by their tumor microenvironment and toxic exposures, such as breast, gastrointestinal, bladder, melanoma, and lymphoma and leukemia.
The program has three specific aims:
- To disrupt cancer stem-cell promoting microenvironments
- To reprogram immunosuppressive microenvironments
- To mitigate tissue injury induced by cancer treatment
Program Leaders
Minsoo Kim, Ph.D.
Dean’s Professor of Microbiology and Immunology
Director of the Tumor Immunotherapy Research Program at Wilmot
Dr. Kim investigates innate and adaptive immune responses and cancer treatment.
Laura Calvi, M.D.,
Professor of Medicine, Neurosurgery, and Pharmacology and Physiology
Dr. Calvi is focused on bridging bone and stem cell biology to discover the regulatory components of the bone marrow microenvironment, to identify targeted therapies.