Alexander Birbrair

Immunology Focus area:  Cancer Immunology

Descriptive Title of Research: The role of the nervous system in melanoma progression

Research Description: Our lab is committed to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in cancer development, focusing on the vasculature and the peripheral nervous system present in different tissues microenvironments. We are interested in studying how the neuro-vascular interactions affect cancer cell behavior during disease progression. Understanding how these interactions are affected in cancer will help develop targets for novel therapies. For this, we take advantage of state-of-the-art technologies, including two-photon and confocal microscopy, in vivo lineage-tracing methods, FACS-sorting, single-cell RNA sequencing, organ, tissue and cell transplantation, neural circuitry analysis, and sophisticated Cre/loxP techniques in combination with cancer mouse models. Thus, our long-term goal is to identify novel potential cellular and molecular targets for cancer therapy. My career goal is to maintain a well-funded lab with a loving and nurturing environment in which team members are mentored in a collaborative atmosphere.

Link to Publications: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Alexander+Birbrair

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/1DsKj1Q3JnS5j/bibliography/public/

Graduate Program Affiliations:  Cell and Molecular Biology, Cell and Molecular Pathology, Cell and Molecular Pharmacology, Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience

Lab Website: Birbrair Lab – Department of Dermatology – UW–Madison