Dana Silverbush, PhD

A major obstacle to effective cancer therapy is the co-existence of multiple cell states with distinct molecular and phenotypical profiles within a tumor (intra-tumoral heterogeneity). The ability of tumor cells to transition between these states (tumor plasticity) has been shown to mediate treatment resistance and disease progression. As a result, malignancies with high rates of heterogeneity and plasticity—such as glioma, acute myeloid leukemia, pancreatic, and lung cancers—remain highly treatment-refractory. Notably, intra-tumoral heterogeneity encompasses genetic, epigenetic, transcriptional, and phenotypic components, and is increasingly thought to be driven by an interplay of genetic and epigenetic factors. The aim of the Silverbush lab is to map the genetic and epigenetic patterns driving transcriptomic heterogeneity and tumor plasticity, leveraging these patterns to enhance diagnostic and prognostic accuracy. To achieve this, we develop single-cell multi-omic assays and corresponding analysis solutions, employing them to explore intra-tumoral heterogeneity and tumor plasticity. The lab consists of both a wetlab component and a computational component, and we welcome students with diverse backgrounds and interested in either or both.