Cancer and Developmental Biology

Track Director: Tiffany Seagroves, Ph.D (UT Health Science Center)

Developmental and cancer biology are two complementary disciplines that can be viewed as the yin and yang of cell survival. Whereas developmental biology is concerned with the acquisition and maintenance of normal cellular function, cancer biology focuses on the disruption and deletion of normal cellular function. Research within the Cancer and Developmental Biology track reflects the complete continuum of cell development, from the regulation of normal cell division to the abnormal development of cancer. The track has a diverse group of research faculty with appointments in 11 different departments both at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Interactions and collaborations among the faculty bring together research expertise that focuses on the cell cycle, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell migration, angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, metastasis, and apoptosis. Techniques drawn from a wide range of fields, including molecular genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, structural biology, and therapeutics, are applied in this truly interdisciplinary program.

The Cancer and Developmental Biology track is appropriate for students seeking training in cutting-edge research in the following areas:

Animal models for tumorigenesis and development
Tumor suppressor and oncogenic signaling pathways
Angiogenesis
Cell proliferation and cell death
Differentiation
Development
Pathology
Cancer stem cells/tumor-initiating cells
Novel therapeutic approaches

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