Andrei Goga, MD, PhD

Metastasis remains the single greatest challenge that cancer patients face today, with nearly 90% of cancer-related mortality attributable to progressive metastatic disease. The culprit is the metastatic tumor cell, which recent evidence suggests, may have quite distinct properties from primary tumors. Heterogeneity caused by the evolution of the metastatic cell as it spreads may in part explain the limited responses to targeted therapies that are directed against mutations found in the primary tumor. The Goga Lab seeks to: 

1) identify the unique properties and vulnerabilities of metastatic cancer cells; 

2) determine if tumor heterogeneity is critical for aggressive cancer growth and early metastasis;  

3) harness this knowledge to deconstruct heterogeneous cancers and improve patient treatments for metastatic disease.