Dr. Ruben Dries

Biography

Ruben Dries combines computational data analysis with novel experimental approaches and technologies to understand basic biological concepts related to health and disease. His insights are leveraged to target tumor-specific processes that inhibit the development of treatment resistance. Dries' early studies employed a systems biology approach to dissect the regulatory networks of neural differentiating embryonic stem cells, applying this knowledge to understand how cancer cells transcriptionally respond to targeted therapies and stress factors. His research interests evolved towards focusing on how cells communicate spatially within their microenvironment and building tools to facilitate this type of analysis. His research lab works on several projects, including establishing multi-cellular breast cancer models that reflect spatial tumor heterogeneity and assessing the contribution of supporting cells in the tumor microenvironment. Dries is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (D&I) as a core part of the scientific community and actively advocates for D&I initiatives both in his lab and the broader academic environment. His recent collaborations span institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston University Medical Center, focusing on therapeutic investigations involving predominantly Black women with late-stage breast cancer.

Research Interests

Experience