The Eck Lab at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute focuses on elucidating the structural and mechanistic essentials of cancer biology. By leveraging biochemical and biophysical methods, including X-ray crystallography and cryo electron microscopy, the lab distills core problems critical to cancer research. A significant area of interest is the structure and regulation of kinases and their mutational activation in cancer, which aids in the development of anti-cancer drugs. The lab has a long-standing focus on EGFR mutations in lung cancers, uncovering the mechanisms by which somatic mutations in the EGFR kinase domain result in catalytic activation that sensitizes cancer cells to EGFR-directed inhibitors. Moreover, the team has explored the mechanisms of resistance in the EGFR T790M mutant and has contributed to the development of novel mutant-selective inhibitors to overcome this resistance. Additionally, the lab has elucidated the structural basis of BRAF autoinhibition and investigates how various RAF inhibitors affect RAF isoforms differently, while also working on innovative small molecule RAF inhibitors. Another research interest includes the KIAA1549:BRAF fusion found in pediatric glioblastomas, with hopes of translating their structural and biochemical insights into novel therapeutic strategies.