Brain Tumor Research
At the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC), our physician-scientists are redefining neuro-oncology research and care. Tumors of the brain and spinal cord affect both children and adults, and are extremely challenging to treat. The HICCC has an extraordinary team of physicians and scientists investigating the biology of these tumors. By understanding the cells from which the tumors arise, the microenvironment in which they grow, and the molecular mechanisms that drive tumor growth and dissemination, their goal is to develop safer and more effective approaches to therapy.
Investigators in the HICCC have already made important contributions to our understanding of brain and spinal cord tumors. Beyond the genetic mutations that are widely believed to drive tumor growth, our scientists have revealed important roles for epigenetic regulators, specialized proteins that determine which genes are active and which are silent. In addition, they have demonstrated that brain tumor growth depends on interactions between tumor cells and the cells around them, including blood vessels, immune cells and neurons. Using sophisticated computational approaches, they have identified "master regulator proteins" that are critical for tumor growth, and used these to develop novel approaches to therapy. Using cutting edge bioengineering technologies such as convection enhanced delivery and focused ultrasound, they are developing ways to circumvent the blood brain barrier and deliver drugs directly into tumors. Finally, in collaboration with the HICCC’s outstanding team of clinical investigators, they are bringing these approaches to the clinic, where they can improve outcomes for patients suffering from brain and spinal cord tumors.Â
Laboratory Research
Cell & Molecular Biology | Drug Delivery & Imaging | Systems Biology | Tumor Microenvironment & Metastasis
Clinical Research
Neuro-Oncology | Neurosurgery | Radiation Oncology | Radiology
News
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Focused Ultrasound FoundationAugust 11, 2023Researchers at Columbia have begun a clinical trial to assess the feasibility of using focused ultrasound to facilitate the delivery of chemotherapy to progressive diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas.
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Department of PediatricsMarch 13, 2023A team of Columbia physician-scientists have opened a trial of a noninvasive, focused ultrasound approach to open the blood-brain barrier to better treat pediatric brain tumors.
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- February 17, 2023
Dr. Gill is focused on improving therapies for patients with brain cancer and shares why building thoughtful mentor-mentee relationships are critical in science and medicine.
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Laboratory Research
Lloyd A. Greene, PhD
- Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Greene Lab investigates the development of cell-penetrating peptides that target specific transcription factors required for survival and growth of cancer cells, including those that grow in the brain.
Chao Lu, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Genetics & Development CUMC
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Lu Lab studies the higher-order epigenome regulation and how nuclear organization is dysregulated in adult and pediatric brain tumors.
![Profile Headshot]( "Chao Lu, PhD")
Markus D Siegelin, MD
- Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Siegelin investigates metabolism, cell death and mechanisms of treatment resistance in glioblastoma.
Brent R. Stockwell, PhD
- Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry
Adult Brain Tumors
The Stockwell Lab examines the role of ferroptosis in treating brain cancers.
Robert Wechsler-Reya, PhD
- H. Houston Merritt Professor of Neurological Sciences (in Neurology and in Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center)
Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Wechsler-Reya Lab investigates the signals that control growth and differentiation in the developing nervous system and how these signals are dysregulated in childhood brain tumors.
Zhiguo Zhang, PhD
- Clyde and Helen Wu Professor of Epigenomic and Molecular Biology (in Pediatrics, Genetics and Development and in the Institute of Cancer Genetics)
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Zhang Lab investigates how onco-histone mutations drive tumorigenesis of high grade pediatric glioma and identifies drug targets for the incurable disease.
Jeffrey Bruce, MD
- Edgar M. Housepian Professor of Neurological Surgery Research at the Columbia University Medical Center
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Bruce serves as a principle investigator of the Gabriele Bartoli Brain Tumor Lab, a multi-disciplinary translational brain tumor research effort with interests in glioma immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, and drug delivery systems.
Elisa E. Konofagou, PhD
- Professor of Biomedical Engineering (Columbia University)
- Professor of Radiology (Physics)
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Konofagou Lab designs and applies systems of focused ultrasound to open the blood-brain barrier for efficient tumor drug delivery.
Cheng-Chia Wu, MD, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
Through the Initiative for Drug Delivery Innovation (IDDI) laboratory, Dr. Wu uses advanced technology to enhance drug delivery to the brain with a precision medicine approach for drug selection.
![Profile Headshot]( "Cheng-Chia Wu, MD, PhD")
Andrea Califano, Dr
- Clyde '56 and Helen Wu Professor of Chemical Biology (in Systems Biology) and Professor of Biomedical Informatics and of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics (in the Institute for Cancer Genetics)
- Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
The Califano Lab investigates master regulator proteins that homeostatically control the transcriptional state of distinct CNS malignancy subpopulations—including for glioblastoma, meningioma, and diffuse midline gliomas—as well as the drugs capable of inverting their activity.
Robyn Gartrell, MD
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC
Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Gartrell Lab specializes in the evaluation of immune response to tumors through computational approaches as well as tissue-based spatial relationships.
Jovana Pavisic, MD
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Pediatric Brain Tumors
Raul Rabadan, PhD
- Professor of Biomedical Informatics (in Systems Biology)
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Rabadan Lab studies the evolution of brain tumors using genomic data.
Peter A. Sims, PhD
- Associate Professor of Systems Biology (in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and in Systems Biology)
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
The Sims Lab develops genomic technologies and applies them to investigate cellular differentiation and drug response in malignant brain tumors.
Simon Tavaré, PhD, FRS
- Professor of Statistics and Biological Science
Adult Brain Tumors
The Tavare Lab develops stochastic and computational methods for understanding tumor evolution, focusing on glioblastoma and esophageal cancer.
Swarnali Acharyya, PhD
- Associate Professor of Pathology and Cell Biology (in the Institute for Cancer Genetics)
Adult Brain Tumors
The Acharyya Lab studies mechanisms of drug resistance and brain metastasis in lung and breast cancers.
Osama Al Dalahmah, MD, PhD
- Assistant Professor in Pathology and Cell Biology
Adult Brain Tumors
The Al-Dalahmah Lab investigates the interaction between glioblastoma and the tumor microenvironment including astrocytes and microglia.
Peter D Canoll, MD, PhD
- Professor of Pathology & Cell Biology at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Canoll serves as a principle investigator of the Gabriele Bartoli Brain Tumor Lab, a multi-disciplinary translational brain tumor research effort with interests in glioma immunotherapy, tumor microenvironment, and drug delivery systems.
Brian Gill, MD
- Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Gill investigates how crosstalk between brain tumors and neurons influences tumor growth, progression, and neuronal plasticity.
Catherine A. Schevon, MD, PhD
- Associate Professor of Neurology
Adult Brain Tumors
The Schevon Lab, in the Epilepsy and Sleep Division, investigates multi scale dynamics of focal seizures, on the scale of cellular activity and EEG.
Clinical Research
Maria Diaz Ordonez, MD
- Assistant Professor of Neurology
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Diaz Ordonez investigates advanced imaging techniques and biomarkers to differentiate between pseudoprogression and true tumor progression in glioblastoma.
Laura Donovan, MD
- Assistant Professor of Neurology at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Donovan's research is focused on improving quality of life for people living with brain tumors.
James Garvin, MD
- Professor of Pediatrics at CUMC
Pediatric Brain Tumors
Dr. Garvin conducts clinical trials for treatment of childhood brain tumors, and has a particular interest in brain tumors of infants.
Aya Haggiagi, MD
- Assistant Professor of Neurology at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Haggiagi's research interests include the development of clinical trials, precision medicine, and neurologic complications of immunotherapy.
Fabio M. Iwamoto, MD
- Associate Professor of Neurology at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Iwamoto research interests including early and late phase clinical trials for primary brain tumors including glioblastomas, lower grade gliomas and primary CNS lymphomas.
Gurcharanjeet Kaur, MD
- Assistant Professor of Neurology
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
Dr. Kaur's research interests are centered on the Neurofibromatosis related tumors, cancer related neurotoxicity, and tumor targeted therapy for low grade gliomas.
Andrew B. Lassman, MD
- John Harris Professor of Neurology at the Columbia University Medical Center
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Lassman's research focuses on translational clinical trials for brain tumors, with molecular correlative analyses to understand the reasons for treatment success or failure and to refine treatment paradigms.
Peter Chei-Way Pan, MD
- Assistant Professor of Neurology at the CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Pan's research interest involve understanding the molecular underpinnings of adult brain tumors and mechanisms of treatment resistance.
Luca Szalontay, MD
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Pediatric Brain Tumors
Dr. Szalontay's research interests lie in evaluating the efficacy of developmental therapeutics in pediatric patients who do not respond to initial treatment or experience cancer recurrence.
Mary R. Welch, MD
- Associate Professor of Neurology at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Welch's research interests center around clinical trial access, decision-making in trial enrollment, and caregiver support.
Neil A Feldstein, MD
- Professor of Neurological Surgery at CUMC
Pediatric Brain Tumors
Dr. Feldstein's research interests include spinal dysraphism/tethered spinal cord, craniofacial surgery, brain tumors, chiari malformations, and syringomyelia.
Guy M. McKhann, MD
- Professor of Neurological Surgery at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. McKhann investigates brain tumor immunobiology and surgical techniques to improve pateint outcomes.
Michael B. Sisti, MD
- James G. McMurtry Professor of Neurological Surgery (in Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery and in Radiation Oncology) at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Sisti's research interests lie in evaluating emerging surgical technologies for the treatment of complex brain tumors, meningiomas, and acoustic neuromas.
Simon K. Cheng, MD, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
The Cheng Lab is focused on enhancing the effectiveness of radiation therapy and immunotherapy in brain and lung tumors using innovative experimental platforms.
Tony J. Wang, MD, FASTRO
- Professor of Radiation Oncology (in Neurological Surgery) at CUMC
Adult Brain Tumors
Dr. Wang’s research focuses on clinical trials for brain tumors and stereotactic radiosurgery for benign and malignant brain conditions.
Jack Grinband, PhD
- Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology
Adult Brain Tumors
The Grinband Lab studies how structural and functional MRI properties are related to histological features of gliomas.
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Angela Lignelli, MD
- Chief, Division of Neuroradiology
Adult & Pediatric Brain Tumors
Dr. Lignelli's research focuses on developing non-invasive imaging markers for diagnosis/prognosis of pediatric and adult brain tumors and monitoring treatment effect
Alexis Maddocks, MD
- Assistant Professor of Radiology
Pediatric Brain Tumors
Dr. Maddocks works to provide imaging expertise to clinical trials in pediatric brain tumors.
