Systems, Pathways & Targets

The overall goal of the Systems, Pathways & Targets (SPT) Program is to discover new aspects of cancer biology that can be exploited for the development of novel treatments and diagnostics. Led by Program Co-Leaders (PLs) John Lowengrub, PhD and Pamela Becker, MD, PhD, SPT members include cell biologists, immunologists, geneticists, systems biologists, computational scientists, and clinical investigators.

The Program leverages these diverse perspectives to build collaborative teams that tackle long-standing problems using bold and innovative approaches. Working at different scales, from molecules and cells to tissues and organs, SPT members study the fundamental biology of individual cancer cells as well as the interactions among cells in the tumor environment and metastatic sites to identify targets for intervention. Several SPT members are physician-scientists with independent research programs and are well-positioned to translate discoveries from bench to bedside as novel therapies and important new diagnostics. Importantly, SPT leadership actively connects basic scientists with clinicians through the CFCCC’s Disease-Oriented Teams (DOTs) and via the annual Cancer Center retreat. These interactions have facilitated access to tumor tissue samples for laboratory research projects and led to new clinical trials