Biosciences Program Faculty performing Cancer Biology research

For additional information regarding cancer research at the University of Iowa, please visit the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Cancer research activities at The University of Iowa include basic and translational interdisciplinary programs that span all of the PhD programs and departments in the Biosciences Program. The cancer programs that include potential areas for graduate student include the following:

Cancer Epidemiology
Focuses on cancer etiology, cancer health services outcomes, oral health and cancer prevention and control.

Cellular Activation in Cancer
Investigative studies of cellular oncogene/tumor suppressor products, basic signaling mechanisms regulating cell growth and activation, and clinically-related cellular activation studies.

Experimental Therapeutics
Includes investigators with expertise in Developmental Pharmacology who are developing new therapeutic agents based on our growing knowledge of cell cycle control and signaling. Members of the program have expertise in tumor immunology including those who participate in the Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE).

Free Radicals and Membranes
Discovered that model turmors transfected with superoxide dismutase demonstrate decreased turmor growth, and this is synergistic with an anticancer durg.

Molecular and Tumor Virology
Conducts research on the molecular mechanisms of interactions between viral and cellular gene products that influence viral replication, cell cycle, and cell division, host-virus, interactions at the level of virus entry, persistence, immuno response, and molecular epidemiology of viral disease.

Molecular Mechanisms of Metastasis
Focuses on the identification of genes underlying tumor progression and metastasis, including the molecular signature of turmor cells and the development of blood supplies for tumor growth.

Prostate Cancer Research
Studies the use of vaccine immunotherapy for prostate cancer, the identification of biomarkers during neoplastic progression, the application of innovative imaging, and apoptosis.