Research

Rho GTPases are molecular switches that control the cytoskeleton. Deregulation of Rho GTPases can result in aberrant function and disease, including cancer. The spreading of cancer cells from one part of the body to another, called metastasis, is one of the biggest causes of cancer death. The other major challenge in the clinic is drug resistance. In our lab we are studying how Rho GTPase signalling and cytoskeletal remodelling can control many processes: invasion and metastasis, tumour promoting inflammation and drug responses. We are particularly interested in understanding how cancer cells sense extracellular signals via their cytoskeleton and integrate the responses altering transcription. On the other hand, how cancer cells interact with the tumour microenvironment is crucial for tumour progression and dissemination. We aim to understand how this communication is controlled by the cytoskeleton of cancer cells.

The lab combines 'OMICs', molecular biology, microscopy in 3D matrices, co-culture systems, animal models and digital pathology in patient tissues to identify molecular determinants driven by Rho GTPase signalling that drive cancer progression and metastatic potential. Our ultimate goal is to define if manipulations in the cytoskeleton of cancer cells will lead to improved efficacy of current therapeutic approaches.

Other Activities

• 2018-present Member of The British Association for Cancer Research (BACR)
• 2017-present Member of The British Society for Cell Biology (BSCB)
• 2013-present Member of The Women of Influence Group, by Cancer Research UK

Major Funding

• 2018-2020- Barts Charity
• 2017-2022- Cancer Research UK Senior Fellowship “Investigating Rho-kinase (ROCK) in melanoma progression and therapy response”
• 2017-2019- The Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust “Understanding how cytoskeletal remodelling leads to drug resistance in melanoma”

Recent Publications

Warning: simplexml_load_file(): /var/www/vhosts/bartscancer.london/httpdocs/pub-xml/44069.xml:2: parser error : Start tag expected, '<' not found in /var/www/vhosts/bartscancer.london/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/barts-cancer/functions/widgets.php on line 338

Warning: simplexml_load_file(): No output found matching request criteria! in /var/www/vhosts/bartscancer.london/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/barts-cancer/functions/widgets.php on line 338

Warning: simplexml_load_file(): ^ in /var/www/vhosts/bartscancer.london/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/barts-cancer/functions/widgets.php on line 338

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/vhosts/bartscancer.london/httpdocs/wp-content/themes/barts-cancer/functions/widgets.php on line 341
For additional publications, please click here

Team

Postdoctoral researchers in this group
Dr Eva Crosas-Molist, Dr Oscar Maiques, Dr Remi Samain

PhD students in this group
Leonie Kohlhammer, Samantha George, Jaume Barcelo, Yaiza Jung, Laura Stennett, Anna Perdrix

Research Assistant
Jo Monger

Biography

I received my first degree in chemistry and later a masters degree in biochemistry from the University of Oviedo in Spain, followed by a PhD in chemical sciences at the University of Cantabria. After a short postdoc in the same lab with a Lady Tata Memorial Trust Fellowship, I moved to the Institute of Cancer Research in London as a CRUK and Marie Curie Intra-european Fellow with Chris Marshall. In 2008, I received an EACR 40th Anniversary Research Award. In 2011 I established my lab with a CRUK Career Development Fellowship at King’s College London (Randall Centre for cell and molecular biophysics). In 2015, I was highly commended as CRUK Communications and Brand Ambassador for communicating science to the public. In 2017 I was awarded the BSCB Women in Cell Biology Early Career Award Medal. The same year I received a CRUK Senior Fellowship and I was badged CRUK Werth Trust Fellow. I joined Barts Cancer Institute as a Professor of Cancer Cell Biology in 2018.