Hira Goel, Ph.D.
| Assistant Professor (Mercurio Lab) |  |
|
| Ph.D.: 2002, NIPER, Mohali | ||
| Postdoctoral research: UMass Chan Medical School | ||
| Office: | UMass Chan Medical School 364 Plantation Street, LRB 470Y Worcester, MA 01605 |
|
| Phone: | 508-856-3510 | |
| Email: | Hira.Goel@umassmed.edu | |
Research
Cancer therapies often fail because of the presence of a group of highly resistant and pluripotent cells, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs). My research focus is to characterize the mechanisms that contribute to the pluripotency of CSCs and to design new therapeutic strategies based on these mechanisms. My current work involves the VEGF co-receptor neuropilin-2 (NRP2) that is essential for CSC function. My studies have shown that NRP2 could be an effective therapeutic target for breast and prostate cancer because its inhibition sensitizes these cancers to chemo- and radiation therapy. This hypothesis is currently being tested in pre-clinical models in conjunction with studies aimed at investigating the mechanisms that contribute to this therapeutic strategy.