Translational oncology

We believe that cancer can be understood and managed only by a multi-layered approach where methods originating from multiple disciplines are integrated. These include laboratory techniques, high-throughput sequencing, clinical trial design, social sciences, with a heavy reliance on computational analyses.
We are creating a group of enthusiastic people with variegated backgrounds to foster cross-fertilization from different branches of knowledge, to provide comprehensive answers to clinically and biologically relevant questions. We participate in several collaborations within IEO and national and international groups.

Areas of specific interest:

• Metabolism and cancer. We study molecular mechanisms mediating the effect of diet on cancer, in particular on cancer stem cells and the immune environment.
• Chromatin modifiers as therapeutic targets in cancer and immunity. We study the role of histone modifications in hematopoietic and immune cells, and how they can be pharmacologically targeted for modulating the immune response.
• Cancer genomics and biomarker discovery. We perform translational studies in clinical trials to identify biomarkers for response prediction, diagnosis and genetic risk.
• Bioinformatic tools for clinical genomics. We develop tools for the management of sequencing data for clinical trial design and diagnosis.
• Quantitative social studies applied to medicine, in particular on privacy, health economics and accessibility to clinical trials