Research Overview

The notorious heterogeneity of tumors at the cellular and spatial level is not random noise but a fundamental basis on which solid tumor tissues operate. We therefore envision that a deep understanding of the foundations and consequences of tumor heterogeneity can and should inform clinical practice.
Our group applies a systems biology approach to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern tumor spatial diversity and to provide actionable tools to clinically navigate this phenomenon. Of particular interest to us are the different non-malignant components of solid tumors and how they self-organize to control tumor properties such as growth, invasion, and drug resistance. To this end, we often combine traditional methods such as histopathology with state-of-the-art multimodal profiling techniques, applied to human tissues and patient-derived 3D models. In close collaboration with our partners from the clinic, we strive to further develop our mechanistic insights into tools to effectively navigate tumor heterogeneity during clinical decision making.