Inside Cancer

When we think of stem cells, we imagine repair, renewal and regeneration. However, the same stem cell programs that rebuild tissue can be rewired by cancer cells to survive and spread. In this talk, I will unpack this process and explain how big data and AI can help map and disable cancer’s regenerative toolkit.

Cancer is highly adaptive, deceptive, and manipulative. Tumor heterogeneity refers to the diversity of cancer cells within a tumor (intra) and across patients (inter). Many cancers initially respond to treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. Alas, a subset of patients will inevitably develop therapeutic drug resistance. My postdoctoral research focuses on how this resistance develops in advanced prostate cancer.

When we think about cancer, we usually focus on the tumor itself. But cancer may also have surprising effects on the heart and blood vessels. This talk will introduce the emerging link between cancer and heart disease, why it matters for long-term health, and how scientists are trying to understand and prevent these hidden risks.