The surgical oncology research lab was established to conduct clinical and basic science research in order to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes of the patients we operate on. Moreover, the lab is a platform for the development of future academic surgeons, passionate about both research and the field of surgery. We focus on patient-driven translational research, studying the molecular basis of various cancers. We aim to explore distinct signaling pathways and molecules that may play a role in cancer development, progression, metastasis, and response to therapy.
Specifically, We investigate extracellular vesicles- mediated cross talk between metastatic GI cancer cells and the peritoneal microenvironment. For these purposes we frequently utilize in-vitro and in-vivo models, fresh human cancer specimens, as well as various advanced molecular and bioinformatic approaches.