Dr. Shehla Pervin is an Assistant Professor who focuses her research on identifying key cell types involved in promoting the initiation of human breast tumors and understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in this process. Her research utilizes primary cells obtained from triple negative and estrogen receptor-positive human breast tumors to generate xenografts in nude mice. Her research group seeks to understand the roles of key signaling pathways in mammary cancer stem cells and stromal cells that contribute to tumor initiation and progression. Additionally, her laboratory aims to understand the mechanisms by which certain cell types sensitive to estrogen promote estrogen-induced human breast tumors. Her studies are directed towards identifying novel targets for early detection and treatment of breast tumors.