Hui-Wen Lo

Dr. Lo's research interests are primarily in molecular and cell biology that underlies tumor growth, tumor progression, brain metastasis, and cancer drug discovery and development. The Lo Laboratory has focused on three cancer types: breast cancer, breast cancer brain metastasis, and glioblastoma (GBM, the most common and deadliest brain malignancy in adults). Aberrant cell signaling is a major hallmark of almost all types of cancer. Thus, the majority of targeted therapies have been directed against components of important signaling pathways including protein kinases and transcription factors. The lab has investigated several of these pathways, including those mediated by EGFR and HER2, as well as the effectors downstream of both kinases, such as AKT, HSF1, and STAT3. Another major direction of the lab is to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying breast cancer brain metastasis, the end-stage of breast cancer progression that does not have an effective treatment. The lab is particularly interested in investigating transcription factors, kinases and non-coding microRNAs for their roles in driving breast cancer metastasis to the brain and other organs. In addition to breast cancer, the lab is actively investigating glioblastoma, working to understand the role of a novel tumor suppressor, TUSC2, in GBM. The lab is also actively testing novel combination therapies for GBM. The Lo lab is actively involved in developing novel compounds that target important mediators of breast cancer metastasis and glioblastoma progression. Overall, the research conducted in the Lo Laboratory is multidimensional and highly collaborative and translational. She is actively recruiting graduate students and scientists to her laboratories at Texas A&M Health Science Center at both Bryan and Houston campuses.