The overarching goal of Dr. Garraway’s research program involves the systematic characterization of critical and targetable mechanisms enacted by common genomic alterations in human tumors, with an emphasis on melanoma and prostate cancer. This work integrates genomic, mechanistic, and…
more translational studies of human solid tumors. Dr. Garraway’s efforts helped pioneer the notion of “integrative genomics”, which identified MITF as an amplified oncogene in melanoma. Subsequently, he applied similar systematic approaches to study mechanisms of resistance to anticancer agents, which led to several discoveries in melanoma that are now influencing clinical trials of RAF and MEK inhibitors. Dr. Garraway’s laboratory has also led multiple large-scale genome characterization efforts that defined the mutational landscapes and many new cancer genes in melanoma, prostate cancer, and head/neck cancers, among others. Dr. Garraway’s research has also contributed to the emerging field of precision (or “personalized”) cancer medicine. His group was among the first to adapt genomics technologies to enable scalable, high-throughput clinical approaches to cancer gene mutation profiling. This research has inspired precision medicine initiatives at many cancer centers worldwide. Dr. Garraway is now leading a major study to assess prospective implementation of massively parallel sequencing to guide clinical management of cancer patients. Altogether, Dr. Garraway’s efforts have resulted in several important scientific contributions to cancer biology, integrative genomics, anticancer drug resistance, and personalized cancer medicine.
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