Arun Wiita, MD, PhD

Our laboratory is focused on using mass spectrometry-based proteomics to discover new biology and therapeutic targets in hematologic malignancies (blood cancers) and genetic disease. Our major hypothesis is that “biology happens at the protein level” – i.e. RNA-level analysis is not enough. This is particularly true when investigating biological signatures driven by protein post-translational modifications, protein-protein interactions, and altered sub-cellular localization.

To achieve these goals, our inter-disciplinary group aims to integrate proteomics-based screening with “multi-omics” bioinformatics, clinical data, epigenetic methods, genome engineering, antibody engineering, cellular engineering, chemical biology, and mechanistic biology. In particular, significant efforts in the lab are focused on developing new proteomics methods to discover cell surface targets, and then utilize emerging protein and cellular engineering approaches to develop novel cancer immunotherapies to eliminate disease.