Team

Julio. A. Aguirre-Ghiso, MSc, PhD
Principal Investigator

Alfred Adomako, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Studies the mechanisms by which multiple myeloma may enter a state of quiescence or dormancy in response to therapy. This may reveal epigenetic and/or genetic mechanisms by which myeloma cells may persist dormant in a drug tolerant state and subsequently contribute to relapse.

Alvaro Avivar-Valderas, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Studies the role of the endoplasmic reticulum kinase PERK in regulating mammary acinar morphogenesis. He focuses on the role of PERK in inducing autophagy and growth arrest in mammary epithelial cells and how these mechanisms might be hijacked in early breast cancer lesions like DCIS.

Paloma Bragado, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Her work focuses on cancer "stem/initiating" cells in HNSCC and how epigenetic mechanisms might control a metastable tumorigenesis program in these cells. She also studies how the genes BHLHB41/Sharp-1 and p53 and p38 signaling regulate disseminated tumor cell fate and the switch between dormancy and metastatic expansion.

Davis Cannan, BSc
Research Coordinator
He plays an instrumental role in our translational programs helping us detect in human tumor and normal tissues the expression of markers of dormancy, progression and stem cell behavior. He also participates in ongoing studies led by post-docs and students in the lab. These studies provide crucial information to guide our research.

Yeriel Estrada, BSc
Research Coordinator
Mr. Estrada is the principal Laboratory Coordinator and participates in ongoing efforts in the HNSCC studies by other members in the lab. He also directs the functioning and development of our chicken embryo facility optimizing methods for xenograft and tumor stem cells studies in the embryos.

Maria Soledad Sosa, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Studies the role of p38 signaling in controlling the expression and function of transcription factors in the retinoic acid signaling pathway important for induction of tumor dormancy in HNSCC. She also develops a project studying how p38 signaling influences early dissemination in breast cancer.

Huei Chi Wen, MD
Graduate Student
Studies the role of p38 signaling during mammary gland development. Specifically the role of p38 in shaping normal ductal tree development and in suppressing early stages of breast cancer.