Damon Runyon Researchers

In order to survive, cancer cells must evade or disable the immune system. Many cancers are caused by chronic infection with viruses that modulate the host cell by influencing gene expression to achieve this same goal. Dr. Pasquarelli Rios [HHMI Fellow] is studying how viral proteins alter gene expression to create a tumor microenvironment that prevents the immune system from killing cancer cells. Since many viral proteins achieve this by changing the expression of secreted proteins, which can be therapeutically targeted, Dr. Pasquarelli Rios is also exploring the effect of secreted proteins on tumor immune evasion. This work will deepen our understanding of how cancers evade the immune system and has the potential to uncover new targets for cancer treatment. Dr. Pasquarelli Rios received her PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, and her BS from Brown University, Providence.