Congratulations to Maxine Umeh Garcia, PhD, MSc, Melanie Hayden Gephart, MD, MAS, and colleagues on receiving two METAvivor Awards. 

METAvivor is a patient-focused nonprofit organization that funds basic and translational research on metastatic/stage 4 breast cancer.

Health Disparities Award — Identification of Race-Specific Tumor-Immune Interactions in Breast-to-Brain Metastases of Black Women

The overall goal of this study is to better understand how tumor cells communicate with immune cells in the microenvironment of breast cancer brain metastases of Black women. Our hope is to identify key factors that uniquely regulate cell-cell communication, immunosuppressive tumor environments, and disease progression in this historically underserved patient population. 

Translational Research Award — Halting the Progression of Breast Cancer Brain Metastases By Targeting Tumor-Associated Microglia (TAMs)

Normal brain cells, such as microglia (brain-resident immune cells) play an important, but often uncharacterized, role in development and progression of brain metastases. The overall goal of this study is to understand how tumor associated microglia (TAMs, microglia that are present in or around the brain tumors) support breast cancer brain metastases. Our hope is to identify, and disrupt, “TAM-specific” gene targets that contribute to immune suppression in brain metastases. 

The Gephart Lab accelerates translational brain tumor research, combining innovative techniques in genetics and cancer biology with a unique insight into the pressing clinical questions facing patients.