Damon Runyon Researchers

Meet Our Scientists
Allison N. Lau, PhD

Dr. Lau [Robert Black Fellow] aims to characterize the unique metabolism of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cancer cells. In general, it is known that cancer cells have altered metabolism compared to non-cancerous cells; however, it is unknown how different cell types within a tumor utilize nutrients and how this may contribute to tumor progression and metastasis. This research will provide insight into the metabolic dependencies of different cells found within the pancreatic tumor environment and may potentially be useful for developing novel therapies.

Project title: "Understanding metabolic heterogeneity in pancreatic cancer"
Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Named Award: Robert Black Fellow
Award Program: Fellow
Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): Matthew G. Vander Heiden, MD, PhD
Cancer Type: Pancreatic
Research Area: Biochemistry