Associate Professor Alexander Swarbrick

Research Interests:
The large majority of cancers arise through sporadic genetic and epigenetic alterations during a person's life. By identifying these alterations, we will greatly improve our ability to predict and treat the emergence of lethal cancers. My lab focuses on adult breast and prostate cancers and the childhood disease neuroblastoma. 

We use single cell genomics and related techniques to uncover the genetic 'wiring' operating within the microenvironment of cancers,  to identify new mechanisms of disease and therapeutic strategies. We are particularly interested in finding novel therapeutic opportunities in stromal-epithelial signaling and cancer immunology. We use preclinical models to test the efficacy of these new treatments, and with clinical collaborators move these into early phase clinical trials. 

My lab is a multi-disciplinary collaboration of cell biology, pathology, oncology, computation biology and genetics. Its a great place to learn, and good fun to boot.  

Broad Research Areas:
Cancer, Cell Biology and Gene Regulation, single cell genomics, cellular genomics, single cell RNA-Seq, animal models, translational research

Specific Research Keywords:
Metastasis, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Breast Cancer, prostate cancer, single cell genomics, transcriptomics