Dr. Karen Cichowski

Biography

Karen Cichowski is a professor in the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School with a focus on elucidating the deregulated cell signaling that drives cancer. Her laboratory employs a multi-faceted approach incorporating mouse modeling techniques and basic biochemical and cell biological studies to investigate commonly deregulated signaling pathways in human cancers, particularly the Ras pathway. Her research concentrates on understanding how mutations in Ras upstream regulators and downstream effectors promote various cancers, including those of the nervous system, lung, prostate, and breast. Cichowski's lab has made significant strides in the identification of new family members of tumor suppressors and their roles in tumor metastasis. The therapeutic development efforts in her lab aim to address the challenges faced in creating effective therapies for Ras-driven cancers, with a particular emphasis on innovative combination therapies. Additionally, she is researching the epigenetic regulation of the Ras pathway and the NF1 tumor suppressor gene, which has implications for a variety of sporadic cancers. Cichowski's contributions to cancer research focus on unraveling the mechanisms that contribute to tumorigenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets.

Research Interests