We have been studying bladder cancer in a mouse model of the disease and we are seeking to understand the molecular features of the mouse models as they relate to human bladder cancer.

This is an UNPAID research project.

Faculty Advisor

  • Professor: Cory Abate-Shen
  • Department/School: Urology/Medical School
  • Location: ICRC building 3rd floor
  • Our laboratory is interested in understanding how basic cellular mechanisms become coopted in cancer and in harnessing these insights to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment. We focus on elucidating key drivers of cancer phenotypes, particularly those seen in prostate cancer and bladder cancer. Central to our work is a series of genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models we developed that recapitulate key molecular events associated with the human cancers that they emulate and that facilitate informed mechanistic and preclinical investigations. In parallel we have been using state-of-the-art computational systems biology approaches that enable accurate cross-species analyses of experimental data from GEM models and human cancer. Collectively, our studies have identified novel mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression, biomarkers that hold great potential to inform cancer prognosis, and promising new approaches for cancer treatment and prevention.

Project Timeline

  • Earliest starting date: 3/1/2020
  • End date: 8/31/2020
  • Number of hours per week of research expected during Spring 2020: ~12
  • Number of hours per week of research expected during Summer 2020: ~20

Candidate requirements

  • Skill sets: Should have experience in R programming
  • Student eligibility: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, master’s
  • International students on F1 or J1 visa: eligible
  • Additional comments: Interest to understand the biology of bladder cancer