HU-CCR Cancer Track Faculty

If a student joins an NCI CCR lab for dissertation research, the HU-CCR Cancer Track student must retain a co-mentor at HU who will provide career advice and help foster the student's thesis work. Collaborative research projects between the lab of the HU co-mentor and the NCI-CCR lab in which the student will conduct their dissertation are strongly encouraged. For collaborative research projects, HU-CCR Cancer Track students are still expected to spend the majority of their research time in the NCI CCR lab. 

NCI CCR Faculty

Below are NCI CCR PIs (listed by research area) who have expressed interest in hosting an HU-CCR Cancer Track student. Please reach out directly to individual PIs to discuss potential research projects and rotation logistics.

HU Faculty

Below are HU PIs who have expressed interest in co-mentoring HU-CCR Cancer Track students and in collaborating with NCI CCR PIs. Please reach out directly to individual PIs to discuss co-mentoring, potential collaborative research projects and collaboration logistics.

Muneer Abbas, Ph.D. - Polymorphisms in genes associated with innate and acquired immune responses, with a specific emphasis on their relevance to health disparities, Immunoreactive cancers.

Hassan Ashktorab, Ph.D. -   Gastrointestinal carcinogenesis, Gut Microbiome and colon carcinogenesis, Natural Nutritional Supplement in IBD patients.

Robert Copeland, Ph.D. -   Development of novel approaches for the prevention and treatment of breast and prostate cancers. Molecular differences in breast cancers amongst the two ethnic groups (African Americans and European American) which will help identify ethnic-specific markers for breast cancer progression.

Somiranjan Ghosh, Ph.D. - Areas of research include RNA Biology and Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer.

Thomas Heinbockel, Ph.D. - Neuroscience; cellular and network mechanisms of brain function studied with electrophysiological, optical, anatomical, and pharmacological methods; neural signaling and synaptic transmission; drug discovery & development

Tamaro Hudson, Ph.D. -   Evaluation of new chemopreventive strategies that employ bioactive compounds with low toxicity and to understand how these compounds act to suppress, delay, or reverse tumorigenesis in preclinical and clinical prostate cancer models. Areas of research include Cancer Metastasis; Cancer Drug Discovery; Cancer Genomics; Cancer Signaling and Pathways; Cancer Metabolism; and Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy. Completed a cancer prevention fellowship at the NCI.

Finie Hunter-Richardson, Ph.D. -  Correlates of health literacy, faith, trust, and social determinants of health impacting cancer disparities, particularly colorectal cancer.

Yasmine M Kanaan, Ph.D. -   Molecular differences in breast cancers amongst the two ethnic groups (i.e., African Americans and Caucasians) and to identify specific biomarkers most prominent in these ethnic groups. 

Dawit Kidane-Mulat, Ph.D. -   Genetic tools, cancer genomics and metabolomics data approaches to uncover basic mechanism of genomic instability and cancer. Areas of research include Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy; Cancer Genomics; Cancer Metabolism; Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer; and Genomic Instability, Repair and Cancer.

Bernard Kwabi-Addo, Ph.D. -   Epigenetic-mediated gene regulation in Prostate Cancer Disparities with the aim of identifying novel "ethnic-sensitive" biomarkers for prostate cancer detection and disease progression and ultimately identifying novel therapeutic interventions. Past NIH collaborator, Dr. Stefan Ambs.

Miriam Michael, M.D. - Research focuses on the impact of climate change, particularly rising temperatures, on disease and health outcomes. How increasing environmental temperatures affect the prevalence and management of various health conditions, contributing to a deeper understanding of climate-related health challenges.

Sudha Sharma, Ph.D. -  DNA damage and repair and how this is related to early onset of aging and cancer development. Molecular mechanisms of RECQ1, a DNA helicase linked with breast cancer susceptibility and a rare genomic instability syndrome, in gene regulation and genome maintenance. Areas of research include Chromosome Biology; Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer; and Genomic instability and DNA repair. Active Research Collaborations with NCI Investigators: (a) Drs. Ashish Lal, Peter Aplan, Javed Khan, and Paul Meltzer (all at Genetics Branch, CCR) and (b) Dr. Mirit Aladjem (Developmental Therapeutics Branch, CCR)

Zaki Sherif, Ph.D. -  Mechanisms underlying cancer initiation and development. How metabolic syndrome and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) contribute to HCC alongside established viral causes like HCV and HBV.

Telethia Taylor, Ph.D. -   Physical and psychological well-being of cancer survivors and persons at risk for cancer. 

May Tee, M.D. -   Surgical oncology, hepatobiliary (liver), pancreatic, solid organ (including spleen), and upper gastrointestinal diseases. 

Shaolei Teng, Ph.D. -   Development and application of bioinformatics approaches to analyze genetic variations associated with human diseases including neuropsychiatric disorders and cancers. Utilizing next-generation sequencing, machine learning, and protein structure modeling, Teng Lab aims to enhance the understanding of complex disorders and identify potential therapeutic targets.

Karl Thompson, Ph.D. -   Microbiology, Bacterial Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Bacteriology, Bacterial Pathogenesis.  Collaborations with two bacterial researchers at NCI: Dr. Susan Gottesman & Dr. Kumaran Ramamurthi

Fayuan Wen, Ph.D. - Dr. Wen’s lab applies advanced computational techniques, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS), RNA-seq and machine learning, to investigate gene regulation and identify gene variants and pathways. Her research has spanned a wide range of topics including whole genome sequencing analysis of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), investigations into gene regulation during host-virus interactions, cellular transcriptional responses to chemical treatments, and bioinformatics inquiries into cancer. Her expertise in bioinformatics and biostatistics is pivotal in cancer research, where she analyzes complex genomic data to uncover insights into cancer biology and possible treatment strategies.

Carla Williams, Ph.D. -  Cancer disparities, tobacco cessation and control, community engaged research. Issues of health equity affecting African Americans and other underrepresented communities, with emphasis on cancer disparities.