MD
Lineberger Professor of Cancer Research
Director, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Director, UNC Cancer Care
UNC-Chapel Hill
Cancer Cell Biology
Breast Cancer
Area of Interest
In my role as director I oversee the basic, translational, clinical and population science research at UNC Lineberger. My laboratory studies signal transduction in normal and neoplastic cells to determine new therapeutic options in a range of cancers including breast, lung, pancreatic, and prostate, as well as leukemias and melanoma.
We have studied members of the EGF Receptor family for almost 40 years and identified several other tyrosine kinases including MerTK, a kinase that we are studying in the innate immune system as a target that leads to an immunosuppressive tumor micro-environment. To inhibit the action of MerTK, we have teamed with UNC Lineberger’s Stephen Frye, PhD, to create small molecule MerTK inhibitors that can reverse immunosuppression and enhance immunotherapy. This collaboration has resulted in a UNC start-up company, Meryx, Inc, which now has advanced a candidate to an FDA approved Phase 1 clinical trial in solid tumor patients at UNC and Emory. A trial in AML patients is anticipated next year
News and Stories
NCI awards Earp, Pylayeva-Gupta five-year, $2.69 million pancreatic cancer research grant
The NCI has awarded has awarded Shelley Earp, MD, and Yuliya Pylayeva-Gupta, PhD, a research project grant to investigate approaches to overcome barriers to pancreatic cancer immunotherapies.
UNC Lineberger hosts White House Chief Science & Technology Advisor
The White House Chief Science and Technology Advisor Arati Prabhakar, MS, PhD, visited Chapel Hill to discuss the fight against cancer at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Scientific retreat brings together cancer center community, offers insights across research fields
The UNC Lineberger annual scientific retreat featured faculty talks covering a range of basic, clinical/translational and population science research, as well as a poster session.
Roy Williams’ Fast Break Against Cancer raises more than $200,000 for cancer research
Former UNC Men’s Basketball Coach Roy Williams has helped raise more than $220,000 through the 16th annual Roy Williams’ Fast Break Against Cancer, which supports UNC Lineberger. The event has raised more than $3.2 million since its inception.
