Dr. Swarnali Acharyya

Biography

Swarnali Acharyya is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University. Her research focuses on metastasis, the leading cause of mortality in cancer patients. The laboratory studies the mechanisms that make metastasis lethal, aiming to identify ways to successfully target metastases and improve patient outcomes. The group's research examines the crosstalk between metastatic cancer cells and both cancer-inhabiting and cancer-free organs, seeking to interrupt key biological processes that sustain metastases' growth and survival. Current investigations include understanding therapy resistance in metastatic tumors and its systemic effects, contributing to the increased lethality of metastatic cancers. Notably, Acharyya’s work has uncovered a novel signaling axis associated with therapy resistance in brain metastases among EGFR-mutant lung cancer patients. By exploring the metabolic deregulation associated with cachexia, which affects 80% of metastatic patients, her research aims to inform the development of effective and durable treatments for those afflicted by metastatic cancer.

Research Interests

Experience