Treating (advanced) cancers successfully requires understanding the specifics of cancer biology. Without that knowledge, the targeting of tumors and metastases and minimizing “bystander effects” is not possible. During the last decades, the community of cancer researchers has discovered that tumors are not just a growing mass of cells, but highly differentiated and often behave in many ways like another organ in the body, consisting of complex tissues that interface with the entire host organism. Cancer stem cells are often able to escape during classic tumor therapies that target fast growing cells, ultimately causing cancer relapse. The researchers in our department work toward understanding what makes cancers different from healthy tissue and how to take advantage of this therapeutically. We are the basic research department of KUMC with an emphasis on translating our results into the clinic and the lives of cancer patients.
News and Updates
We are excited to share that we have embarked on a new endeavor! The Cancer Biology department has joined up with KU Endowment to create a campaign to raise funding for student travel. The money raised through this drive will enable Cancer Biology students to attend external conferences, seminars, workshops etc. by covering travel costs (airfare, hotel, meals, materials).
Please consider donating! Get more information on: LaunchKU.
Julia Opara received 2nd place in the Student Reseach Forum (SRF) Poster Session!
This forum exists to serve the students at the University of Kansas Medical Center, to advance their research and to bolster their professional development.
The forum provides a public stage for the presentation, assessment and discussion of their scientific investigations as well an opportunity to recognize and award exceptional research efforts.
Congratulations Julia!
Drs. Stefan Bossmann, Obdulia Covarrubias-Zambrano, Raul Neri, Joan Lewis-Wambi (Department of Cancer Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center), Andrea Jewell (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Kansas Medical Center), Balasubramaniam Natarajan and Deepesh Agarwal (Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University) collaborated and published an article titled Few-Layer Graphene-Based Optical Nanobiosensors for the Early-Stage Detection of Ovarian Cancer Using Liquid Biopsy and an Active Learning Strategy.
The article discusses their study which demonstrates the promising potential for feasible, non-invasive, cost-effective, and efficient screening technology for the early detection of ovarian cancer by means of a liquid biopsy. Currently, genetic tests can reveal the potential of developing a disease, while our G-NBS technology can indicate when the disease actually starts. Therefore, the combination of both genetic and protease activity testing can be used together to monitor high-risk group patients for ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer, commonly referred to as the “silent killer” is the fifth deadliest cancer type in the U.S. This is groundbreaking study has the potential to revolutionize the early detection of ovarian cancer as survival depends strongly on the time of diagnosis.
Congratulations to our own Stefan Bossmann as he was selected as senior member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The Cancer Biology professor and chair becomes the first KU Medical Center faculty to be granted this prestigious award.
You can learn more about Dr. Bossmann and this esteemed honor in the following article:
https://www.kumc.edu/about/news/news-archive/bossmann-national-academy-of-inventors.html
All Cancer Biology Seminars are on Wednesdays at 12 pm in the 1006 Cates Hall West Auditorium
March 26 Chrystal Paulos, Ph.D. - Associate Professor, Department of Surgery and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine
April 9 Celeste Simon, Ph.D. - Scientific Director/Professor, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
April 16 Riyaz Syed - Founder and CEO Centalla AI
April 23 Luis Batista, Ph.D. - Associate Professor of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine
May 7 Prasad Dandawate, Ph.D. - Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology, KU Medical Center
May 21 Christina Payne - Ph.D. Student, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, University of Texas Medical Branch
Nadine Santana-Magal Postdoctoral Fellow
Nadine Santana-Magal, is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Kalyani Pyaram’s lab at KUMC, where she has been since early 2024. Since joining the Cancer Biology Department, Nadine has had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with brilliant researchers and utilize cutting-edge facilities to push the boundaries of cancer immunotherapy.
Nadine's research focuses on manipulating CAR-T cell metabolism to enhance their efficacy against solid tumors, including melanoma and DIPG. In collaboration with Dr. Bossmann, her group is designing and chemically synthesizing molecules to improve CAR-T cell function. Nadine is honored to be a recipient of the AAI Careers in Immunology Fellowship, supporting her research journey. Ultimately, her goal is to translate these findings into clinical studies to make a meaningful impact on patients' lives.
Nadine holds an engineering degree in Biotechnology from Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, as well as an M.Sc. in Life Sciences and a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from Tel Aviv University, Israel. Her expertise lies in cancer immunotherapy, and I am passionate about uncovering the precise mechanisms of immune responses to enhance treatment efficacy.
When Nadine is not in the lab, she loves hiking with her family and admiring nature. She also founded the Postdoc Association for the Cancer Biology Department, creating a space where postdocs can connect, share experiences, and support one another.