Our Research Sites

Located at the Hillman Cancer Center on the University of Pittsburgh’s Shadyside campus, exposes scholars to research in a wide variety of cancer biology topics and prepares them to further their STEM studies and to consider the variety of possible STEM careers. Through immersion in laboratories with our renowned faculty mentors that use state-of-the art technologies and weekly discussion about their research projects with their CB peers, scholars are introduced to key concepts in cancer biology such as the roles of: tumor suppressors and oncogenes; cell signaling and growth factors; changes in metabolism and mitochondrial function; changes in epigenetics and DNA repair; alterations in the immune system; tumor microenvironment cross-talk; tissue invasion/metastasis; cell death mechanisms; viruses; and drug resistance. While most CB projects involve bench work, some involve bioinformatics analyses. Scholars will also hear weekly from a variety of speakers who will not only discuss their research but also their career trajectories and choices along the way to show the many paths taken.

Site Directors:

Deborah L. Galson, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine (Division of Hematology-Oncology) and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics; Co-Director, Pittsburgh Center for Interdisciplinary Bone and Mineral Research; Member, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center and McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine;

Ines Lohse, PhD Research Assistant Professor Co-Director, Musculoskeletal Oncology Laboratory

Project Examples from CB Scholars:

• Role of PARP-2 in DNA Replication Stress
• ATR Kinase and Thymidylate Synthase Inhibitors as a Novel Therapeutic for Induced Deoxyuridine Contamination in Cancer Cell Genomic DNA and Cell Death
• Evaluating Drug Combinations With Alisertib, an Aurora A Kinase Inhibitor, for the Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer
• Landscape Analysis of Kinase Signature for Decoding Immunotherapy Resistance and Therapeutic Evaluation of EPH3A Inhibitors in HGSC Ovarian Cancer
• Investigating How Chemotherapeutic Thiopurines Inhibit Telomerase Elongation of Telomeres
• Investigation of Cell Decision Between Therapy-Induced Senescence and Apoptosis in Cancer
• Methyltransferase 3 (METTL3) Regulates Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) Lytic Replication
• Changes in Colorectal Cancer Diagnosis Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic in Western Pennsylvania

Hosted by the Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) and the Division of Pathology Informatics, provides a hands-on introduction to the application of software and computational techniques to clinical and research problems. Biomedical informatics covers a wide range of topics including genomic and proteomic data mining, pharmacogenomics, image analysis, interface design, natural language processing, machine learning, and biosurveillance. CoSBBI students will participate in a crash-course in biomedical informatics, a computer programming boot camp, and intensive collaboration with a faculty mentor on an ongoing research project. Scholars will be encouraged to submit an extended abstract describing their research to the high school program at the annual meeting of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Site Director:

David Boone, PhD Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics

Project Examples from CoSBBI Scholars:

• Comparison of Query Performance of a Research Data Warehouse Stored in a Relational Star Schema Database vs in a NoSQL Document-Store Database
• Identifying Transcription Factor Binding Motifs: A Convolutional Neural Network Approach
• Using Natural Language Processing to Improve the Prediction of Relevant Data in Electronic Medical Records
• Can Varying the Salutation and Subject Lines of E-Mail Prompts Increase Patient Log-Ins to an Internet Support Group for Mood and Anxiety Disorders?
• Automated Image Analysis for Immunohistochemical Evaluation of Protein Expression Levels to Assess their Use as Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer

The CompBio Site is located on the Oakland campus and hosted by the Department of Computational and Systems Biology and the University of Pittsburgh Drug Discovery Institute. Each CompBio student works first-hand on research projects employing cutting-edge approaches in computational modeling, in silico simulations, and/or machine learning techniques to answer questions in cancer biology, drug discovery, and other fast-growing fields while also getting essential training for their college experience and beyond.

Site Directors:

Joseph C. Ayoob, PhD Associate Professor of Computational and Systems Biology

Keisuke Ishihara, PhD Assistant Professor of Computational and Systems Biology

Example CompBio Projects include:

• Creating a computational model of protein-protein and protein-drug interactions
• Building a generative model of intercellular phenotypic heterogeneity in cultured cancer cells
• Mathematical modeling of cell fate decision pathways of apoptosis and other cell death mechanisms
• Simulating and visualizing the dynamics of proteins and protein complexes
• Knowledge-based ligand conformer generation for virtual drug screening

Located across multiple buildings, it exposes scholars to immunological research and prepares them for a career in cancer immunology. Scholars will work alongside a mentor to create a research project dealing with data analysis and experimental design. The goal of this immunology program is to explore the exciting biologic basis for novel therapies being developed that may be used in the immunotherapy of cancer.

Site Directors:

Greg Delgoffe, PhD Assistant Professor of Immunology; Member, Tumor Microenvironment Center

Tullia Bruno, PhD Assistant Professor of Immunology; Member, Tumor Microenvironment Center; Member, Cancer Immunology and Tumor Immunotherapy Program

Project Examples from ICI Scholars:

• Effects of Overexpression of T-bet on Murine Tumor Cell Lines In Vitro
• Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Immunotherapy of Breast Cancer
• The Effect of Nitrosylation on Cysteine-based Caspase-1 Activity
• Identification of HSP90i-Sensitive Client Proteins for Conditional T Cell Targeting of Melanomas
• Regulation of Dendritic Cell Activation by NK Cells in the Presence of HSPs

Located at the Oakland campus, the Pathobiology Site offers exciting and unique opportunities within the biomedical sciences. The program combines basic science and clinical research to explore fundamental questions related to the biology of normal tissue differentiation and growth and the cellular and molecular pathways that lead to various pathobiologies, including cancer. Active research laboratories use both animal and human models to investigate diverse topics such as organ development, liver disease and transplantation, developmental neuroscience, neurologic diseases, mechanisms of gene regulation, cancer biology, aging, human genetics, lung disease, kidney disease, stem cell biology, bioinformatics and artificial intelligence, and molecular diagnostics. Students are matched with a mentor and devote most of their time to lab work. They are also introduced to biomedical sciences through weekly lectures on cancer or relevant topics, “cameo” visits with experts in diverse fields (who I am, how I got here, what I do), and weekly research-in-progress meetings where they learn to discuss their work.

Site Directors:

Andrew Duncan, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Bioengineering

David Gau, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pathology and Bioengineering

The Department of Surgery provides opportunities for research across multiple surgical specialties and campuses (Shadyside, Children’s, and Oakland). Students will participate in the full spectrum of clinical, basic, and translation science with faculty and trainees at Pitt. All students will participate in a 1-on-1 research project, various group activities, have the opportunity shadow in the OR, visit research labs, and engage with surgeon scientists. Many of the project will be performed primarily with computers rather than in the lab at the bench and some activities may be run jointly with the CoSBBI site.

Site Director:

Emilia J. Diego, MD Vice-Chair for Diversity and Inclusion & Division Chief of Breast Division Associate Professor of Surgery

Project Examples from Surgery Scholars:

• Investigating Novel Biomarkers
• Outcome measures regarding procedural approaches for ruptured abdominal aorticaneurysms
• Predicting postoperative lung cancer recurrence and survival using Cox proportional hazards regression and machine learning
• Determining the Optimal Chemotherapy To Be Used in TACE Therapy by Analyzing Patient Data

Located along Technology Drive, Tech Drive-X features laboratories selected from the Departments of Bioengineering, Orthopaedics, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and the Aging Institute. Scientific mentors will collaborate to introduce scholars to interdisciplinary research that addresses emerging challenges to our understanding of the complex roles of the cellular and organismal environment (both internal and external), microbes, aging, and genetics on cancer risk, including the onset and progression of cancer.

Site Directors:

Justin Weinbaum, PhD Research Assistant Professor

Serafina Lanna Program Manager, Aging Institute

Project Examples from TDX Scholars:

• Analysis of Six2+ Cells During Mouse Kidney Development and their Contribution to Ectopic Kidney Organogenesis
• Role of ECM and Macrophages in Glioblastoma Progression
• Evaluating the Phenotype of Macrophages in the Pathology of Endometriosis

Dive into the complexities and wonders of the human eye at the Biology and Translational Medicine in Vision (VISION) site, hosted by the Ophthalmology Department of the University of Pittsburgh, located at the Mercy Pavilion Vision Research Institute (1622 Locust St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219).

 The eye, a marvel of biological engineering, once puzzled even Charles Darwin. Today, it offers us a window into the intricate dance of evolution, perception, and   medical innovation. Are you intrigued by how we see the world, how vision is processed in the brain, or how eye diseases can transform lives? The VISION Program is your gateway to discovery.

 What Awaits You:

Weekly Seminars: Delve into a diverse range of topics encompassing basic biology, cutting-edge translational research, and clinical insights into ocular health and disease. Interactive Workshops: Get hands-on experience in molecular biology, histology, dissection, and advanced microscopic imaging techniques. Mentorship: Partner with a dedicated faculty mentor, engage with daily research activities, and gain unique insights into translational research or clinical practices.

Site Director:

Yuanyuan Chen, PhD Assistant Professor of Department of Ophthalmology

Example VISION Projects include but not limited to:

• Decoding the Secrets of Eye Movement with the Video Game ExciteBike
• Investigating Pseudomonas aeruginosa's Toxic Assault on Corneal Cells
• Pioneering Retina Imaging: A Journey through Ex Vivo and In Vivo Techniques
• Unveiling Mitochondrial Mysteries in Age-Related Macular Degeneration
• Breaking Barriers in Gene Therapy with the AAV System for Large Gene Delivery
• Pioneering Treatments in a Mouse Model of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Join us at the VISION site, where curiosity meets groundbreaking science, and every discovery is a step towards illuminating the human experience.

Located on the Oakland and Shadyside campus, exposes scholars to research in women’s health with a strong emphasis on female cancers. Scholars will participate in ongoing research projects in breast or ovarian cancer using state-of-the-art technologies and approaches such as live cell imaging, quantitative image analyses, novel methods in mass spectrometry, next-generation sequencing, and cancer epigenetics in mentors’ laboratories. Scholars will also participate in class-based didactic courses and visit clinical and shared resource support components of the Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC and the MWRI. Please visit the Women’s Cancer Research Center for more information.

Site Directors:

Partha Roy, PhD, Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Pathology

Michelle M. Williams, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology

Project Examples from WCRC Scholars:

• Comparison of Relative Ovarian Toxicities of Two Platinum Agents in a Mouse Model
• Role of Polyploid Cancer Cells in Breast Cancer Chemoresistance and Tumor Recurrence
• BT20 Lobular Carcinoma Cells Express Prolactin
• Prevention of Chemotherapy-induced Gonadotoxicity in a Mouse Model
• The Potential Role of the Stromal Component in Mammary Outgrowth
• Role of actin-binding proteins in the regulation of tumor microenvironment 
• Circadian rhythm and cancer