Dr. Janice L. Brissette's lab at SUNY Downstate Medical Center focuses on improving cancer treatment by developing a novel diagnostic biomarker to predict patient responses to specific breast cancer therapies. The lab investigates how changes in the protein p27Kip1 can indicate whether patients with metastatic breast cancer will benefit from CDK4/6 inhibitors, which are crucial for managing certain breast cancers. The research aims to make cancer treatments more effective and personalized.

Dr. John Danias's lab at SUNY Downstate Medical Center studies how changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM) affect eye pressure and contribute to conditions like glaucoma. They focus on understanding how steroids can alter the ECM in the eye, leading to increased intraocular pressure, and aim to identify potential therapeutic strategies to reverse these effects. The lab combines advanced models and experimental techniques to explore these critical interactions, ultimately striving to improve treatments for glaucoma and related ocular conditions.

Dr. Tatyana Pestova's lab at SUNY Downstate Medical Center studies how proteins are made in cells, specifically focusing on how ribosomes, the cell's protein factories, handle errors and interruptions during this process. They explore both normal and abnormal translation mechanisms to understand how these processes can lead to diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration. Their research has practical implications for developing therapies that can improve protein synthesis and utilize oncolytic viruses in cancer treatments.