Dr. Kornelia Polyak

Biography

Kornelia Polyak is a prominent researcher at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, focused on the study of human breast cancer. Her laboratory is dedicated to dissecting tumor evolution to enhance the clinical management of breast cancer patients. Her research primarily interests include breast cancer risk prediction and prevention, the drivers of tumor evolution concerning early pre-invasive and metastatic treatment-resistant disease, and the identification of novel therapeutic targets for strategic combination therapies. Recent studies highlighted the significance of TGFβ signaling as a potential regulator of mammary epithelial cells linked to cancer risk and demonstrated how short-term treatment with TGFBR inhibitors significantly alters tumor development pathways. Polyak has also investigated immune escape mechanisms in the transition from ductal carcinoma in situ to invasive breast cancer, revealing critical insights into tumor progression. Additionally, her work underscores the epigenetic regulators KMT2C and KMT2D as novel therapeutic targets in triple-negative breast cancer, providing essential understanding of tumorigenesis and potential cancer treatment strategies.

Research Interests

Experience