Current Projects
The Role of Shared ST6Gal1 in Rectal Adenocarcinoma Invasion.
American Society of Colorectal Surgery
6/2024 – 5/2025
Role: Mentor
PI: Jeremie Lever
Creation of BACE1 polymersomes to overcome resistance in rectal cancer.
O’Neal Invests Award, University of Alabama at Birmingham
P30CA013148
2/2024 – 1/2026
Role: Principal Investigator
A novel, transferable sialyation-mediated mechanism of chemoradioresistance in GI cancer
National Institutes of Health
1R01CA265981
2/1/2022-1/31/2027
Goal: To assess the role of ST6Gal1 in conferring chemoradioresistance in colorectal cancer cell lines and organoids.
Role: Principal Investigator
Completed Projects
Intra-tumor Heterogeneity in Colorectal Cancer Progression and Treatment Response
National Cancer Institute
K08CA190645
08/2016 – 07/2020
Goal: To assess the clinical importance of genetic sub-clones in colorectal cancer.
Role: Principal Investigator
Development of a Dual and Selective Small Molecule Inhibitor of EGFR and PI3 Kinase to Treat BRAF Mutant Colorectal Cancer
National Cancer Institute
R01
04/2018 – 03/2023
Goal: To utilize a dual targeted strategy to treat colorectal cancer models.
Role: Co-Investigator with Effort
- Principal Investigator: Judith Leopold
Therapeutic Targeting of DNA Repair for FBXW7 Mutant Colorectal Cancers
University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center Fund for Discovery
02/2017 – 07/2018
Goal: To improve response to therapy in colorectal cancer through targeted treatment.
Role: Co-Investigator
- Principal Investigator: Meredith Morgan
Investigation of Treatment Resistance in Rectal Cancer
Surgery Research Advisory Committee
U051677
04/2016 – 04/2017
Goal: To create and compare patient derived xenografts from rectal cancers to each other and to the patients they were from.
Role: Principal Investigator
The Role of Intra-tumor Heterogeneity in Colon Cancer Metastasis
John S. and Suzanne C. Munn Cancer Research Fund
G017851
03/2016 – 02/2017
Goal: To study the role of genetic heterogeneity in colon cancer lymph node metastasis.
Role: Principal Investigator
Molecular Approaches to Improving Rectal Cancer Care
American Surgical Association Fellowship
N017003-00
07/2014 – 06/2016
Goal: To explore intra-tumor heterogeneity in rectal cancer
Role: Principal Investigator
Reducing Readmission after Ileostomy Creation
Patient Education Awards Committee, University of Michigan
04/2016 – 05/2016
Goal: To create and institute a patient discharge checklist for new ileostomy patients that decreased readmissions in patients with new ileostomies.
Role: Co-Investigator
Optimization of MEK Inhibitor-Based Combination Strategies Targeting KRAS Mediated Colorectal Cancer Progression
GI SPORE Program Project
5 P50 CA130810-05
09/2010 – 08/2017
Goal: To use a heterogeneous panel of patient derived xenografts to identify and optimize a MEK inhibitor-based combination treatment strategy to guide future clinical trial design.
Role: Co-Investigator
- Principal Investigator: Judith Sebolt-Leopold
