Hereditary Cancer Program

The Translational Research and Interventional Oncology Program is the largest of the cancer center's formal research programs, representing a range of clinical and translational cancer research areas. The program is led by Douglas Johnson, M.D., M.S.C.I., Kristen K. Ciombor, M.D., M.S.C.I and Eben Rosenthal, M.D.

The Signal Transduction and Chemical Biology program, led by Ian Macara, Ph.D., and Stephen Fesik, Ph.D., is an active group of more than 40 basic, translational, and clinical scientists whose goal is to understand how signaling networks control cell proliferation and function, to identify drug leads, and to develop new cancer therapeutics.

The Host-Tumor Interactions program is co-led by Jeffrey Rathmell, Ph.D. and John T. Wilson, Ph.D. The basic, translational, and clinical scientists who make up this program are focused on discovering and understanding these interactions, with the ultimate goal of developing strategies to control tumor progression and metastasis by targeting these interactions.

Co-led by David Cortez, Ph.D., and William Tansey, Ph.D., the Genome Maintenance program includes faculty members from over a dozen departments and centers across campus. Research interests of our members are broad and encompassing — from control of DNA replication and mitosis to mechanisms of DNA damage, DNA damage response and repair, chromatin, epigenetics, and the regulation of gene activity. This vibrant group of researchers harbors expertise in biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, genomics, model organisms, proteomics, and structural biology.

Cathy Eng, M.D. is the leader of the GI Cancer Research Program. The program has more than 30 members conducting clinical and translational research on a range of gastrointestinal cancers, with particular focus on colorectal, gastroesophageal and pancreas cancers.  

Stacie B. Dusetzina, Ph.D., Eric L. Grogan, M.D., M.P.H. and Daniel A. Barocas, M.D., M.P.H. co-lead the Cancer Health Outcomes and Control program. The program maintains close alliances with other cancer center programs, including population science partner program, Cancer Epidemiology, and the basic and clinical science programs.

The Cancer Epidemiology Research Program is co-led by Xiao Ou Shu, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., and Martha J. Shrubsole, Ph.D.  The co-leaders serve as liaisons to the director and senior leadership for the fostering of inter-programmatic collaboration and integration of cancer epidemiology into the clinical and basic research activities of the cancer center, including the provision of epidemiologic resources and access to large study populations for whom the translation of scientific discoveries into practice is important.

The Breast Cancer Research Program includes around 30 members from multiple basic science and clinical departments across Vanderbilt University and Medical Center. Justin M. Balko, Pharm.D., Ph.D., and Vandana G. Abramson, M.D., are co-leaders of the program.