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Evolution of Stromal Resistance

Our "ELI" framework trace how stroma has evolved to regulate epithelial invasion


Dynamics in Tumor Hypoxic Response

Tumors develop hypoxia, which can also fluctuate. HIF-1a can also exhibit oscillations.

Co-opetition at Maternal Fetal Interface

MFI comprises of juxtaposed fetal and maternal tissues causing competition+co-operation

Mechanobiology and Cardiac Maturation

Cells, like all of us, live in a matrix. And the nature of the


Lab Updates

Now in Cell Systems: Cancers cells cheat in hypoxia to continue to divide

A very long collaboration that started as a side gig in my postdoc with...

Ashkan Novin is now Dr. Novin

Let us not find anyone addressing him differently. He donned the cap, and walked the extra mile.

Yasir’s work in PNAS gets featured in science media outlets

Yasir Suhail's work identifying gene regulatory basis for changes in stromal invasability across mammals

ELI work featured in The Scientist

Shawna Williams covered our joint work with Wagner lab on the connection between pregnancy

Yasir Suhail wins the K99 grant award from NIH.

Yasir Suhail received the prestigious K99/R00 award from NICHD.

Cardiac Maturation Paper now in Cell Reports

Collaborating with Junaid Afzal at UCSF, we created a platform that closely mimics the

Ashkan wins (again!) a silver in National Karate Championship in Chicago, 2021

A new theory explaining cancer metastasis in Nature EE

Our paper connecting the evolutionary connections of pregnancy and cancer metastasis. Just out in

What makes us different

People

OUR EXPERTISE

Research Areas

Mechanobiology and Cardiac Maturation
Cells, like all of us, live in a matrix. And the nature of the matrix could determine important functions of the cells, including their shape, migration speeds, fate, proliferative state, as well as metabolism. We focus on understanding how matrix rigidity and topography regulates cell signaling, and metabolism, as well as utilize mechanobiology for cardiac maturation. Related Publications Kshitiz, Afzal J, Kim SY, Kim DH...
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Cancer-stroma interactions
When we think of cancer, we mostly think of cells constituting the neoplastic part of cancer. But a cancerous lesion consists of many other cell types, which could resist, or help in its progression. These “stromal cells” consist of activated fibroblasts, macrophages, endothelial cells, as well as the specialized environment modulated by these cells. In our lab, we attempt to systematically understand how cancer and...
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Hypoxia and Metabolism
Tumors are frequently hypoxic, and glycolytic. Their metabolic pathways are rerouted to help tumor cells continue to divide rapidly under lack of oxygen, and unavailability of certain nutrients. We study how lactate, a byproduct of anaerobic glycolysis, and accompanied acidosis in the microenvironment influences cancer phenotypes. We have found that lactate can increase ROS production in the cells, and increase autophagy. Using in vitro and...
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Systems Cell Biology
Mammals exhibit different rates of metastasis, which interestingly correlates with the subtype of placentation during pregnancy. Based on these, and many other evidence, we are advancing a new paradigm of cancer metastasis called: Evolved Levels of Invasability (ELI) suggesting that stromal resistance (or assistance) to cancer invasion is evolutionarily derived. Related publications Kshitiz, Afzal J, Kim SY, Kim DH (2014). A nanotopography approach for studying...
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Research Tools

Our lab develops biomedical tools to specifically answer biological questions we are interested in. We have specialized assays developed in house, as well as use a variety of tools developed elsewhere, which we customize for our collaborative research.