Diversity in Life Sciences

The Cittelly laboratory studies the mechanisms that allow breast cancer cells to metastasize to the brain, with long-term goal of identifying alternative treatment options for women with this -often terminal- diagnosis. Different from lung and bone metastases (which are common sites of breast cancer metastases), brain metastases develop in a unique organ comprised by a very specialized groups of cells that control brain function in a tightly regulated manner. We are interested in defining the mechanisms by which glial cells (reactive astrocytes and microglia) play pro and anti-metastatic roles during brain colonization, defining how hormones alter the neuro inflammatory milieu through metastatic colonization, and how the brain niche contributes to failure of standard of care for brain metastasis (i.e Radiation, targeted therapies).