PhD
The May Goldman Shaw Distinguished Professor of Molecular Oncology
Professor, Department of Genetics
Co-Leader, UNC Lineberger Breast Cancer Research Program
Co-Director of the Computational Medicine Program
Faculty Director of the UNC Lineberger Bioinformatics Group
UNC-Chapel Hill
Breast Cancer Research Program
Area of Interest
Breast cancer is a prevalent and often deadly disease with known clinical and molecular heterogeneity. To address these challenges, my research team uses a multidisciplinary approach based upon genomics, cancer biology, bioinformatics, machine learning, epidemiology, and clinical trials research to improve the outcomes for cancer patients. A major contribution of mine has been the discovery of the intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer where we demonstrated that breast cancers can be divided into at least four molecular subtypes using the “PAM50” assay. Of these disease subtypes, my lab is focusing much of our biological attention on the Basal-like subtype, which represents ~80% of Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBC).
Our main research focuses on identifying the genetic and epigenetic drivers of metastatic disease, determining the role of the adaptive immune system in breast tumor progression, and improving therapeutic targeting of HER2-positive, and TNBC breast cancers. We use a multitude of experimental and computational approaches, including RNA-sequencing (RNAseq), single-cell approaches, proteomics, DNA exome and whole genome sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and multiple laboratory model systems. We use these approaches on human tumors to discover the causative events of each molecular subtype and then mimic these in our model systems where we then investigate tumor biology and immune system interactions. All our genomic studies generate large volumes of data, and thus a significant portion of my lab is devoted to computational approaches that use these multi-platform data to develop artificial intelligence predictors of treatment response and patient survival.
I am currently a Professor in the Department of Genetics and have been a faculty member at UNC-Chapel Hill since 2000. I am also the Co-Director of the Computational Medicine Program, Faculty Director of the LCCC Bioinformatics Group, and Co-Director of the LCCC Breast Cancer Research Program. I am a member of the AACR, ASCO, the ALLIANCE Breast Committee, and the Translational Breast Cancer Research Consortium. My lab receives support from the NIH/NCI, Susan G. Komen, JKTG Foundation, and Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I have also co-founded three biotechnology companies that are bringing new diagnostic tests into cancer clinical care.
I actively strive to foster a multi-disciplinary lab environment including people from different training backgrounds (i.e., biologists, geneticists, bioinformaticians, statisticians, oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, and others). I am actively seeking new graduate students, medical fellows, postdoctoral fellows and senior scientists, and have opportunities available for both experimentalists and computational scientists.
Awards and Honors
- AACR Academy Fellow, American Association for Cancer Research, 2023
- Award for Excellence in Basic Science Mentoring, UNC School of Medicine Office of Graduate Education, 2023
- AACR Distinguished Lectureship in Breast Cancer Research, 45th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, 2022
- Highly Cited Researchers (Top 1%), Web of Science, Clarivate Analytics, 2014-2023
- AACR Team Science Award for TCGA Pilot & Current TCGA Project Teams, 2020
- OncLive Giants of Cancer Care Award, 2019
- Association of American Cancer Institutes Distinguished Scientist Award, 2018
- Brinker Award for Scientific Distinction in Basic Research, Susan G. Komen, 2016
- Jill Rose Award for Distinguished Biomedical Research, BRCF, 2016
- Hyman L. Battle Distinguished Cancer Research Award, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2013
- The European Institute of Oncology Breast Cancer Therapy Award, 2012
- Danaher Scientific & Medical Award, Susan G. Komen, 2011
- AACR Outstanding Investigator Award for Breast Cancer Research, 2009
- Ruth and Phillip Hettleman Prize for Artistic and Scholarly Achievement, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2006
News and Stories
UNC Lineberger hosts inaugural Innovate Cancer Data Science Symposium
Researchers, clinicians, data scientists and trainees gathered for the inaugural UNC Lineberger Innovate Cancer Data Science Symposium, a daylong event highlighting the rapid evolution of AI, genomics and data‑driven tools shaping the future of cancer care.
UNC Lineberger awarded up to $28M to develop an adaptive clinical trial for metastatic breast cancer
UNC Lineberger will lead the development of a next-generation clinical trial for metastatic breast cancer. The new trial design will adapt treatment plans in near real-time by analyzing changes in each patient’s cancer and matching it to the most promising therapy.
