Welcome to the Bergan Lab
Our laboratory is dedicated to uncovering previously unknown regulatory pathways that govern essential biological processes. We aim to identify and develop novel therapeutics that target these pathways, advancing them from discovery to clinical application in individuals affected by cancer or at risk of developing it. Our approach emphasizes scientific rigor and innovation, with a central focus on understanding how chemical therapeutics engage and influence their biological targets.
- Office:
101 Nicolls Rd
Hospital Pavilion, Level 5, RM 5W 0506 - Phone:
(631) 444-8067 - Email:
Raymond.Bergan@stonybrookmedicine.edu
Research Strategies
Approach 1
In one of our research strategies, we began with chemical probes to explore how they interact with specific protein targets. This approach led to the discovery of previously unrecognized biological mechanisms that govern cellular movement, as well as the development of novel therapeutics designed to modulate these processes. This work is critical, as dysregulated cell movement underlies approximately 90% of cancer-related deaths.
Approach 2
In another approach, we focused on unique protein structures to determine whether they represented untapped sites of biological regulation. This research uncovered a new class of therapeutics that induce anoikis — a form of programmed cell death triggered upon detachment. Understanding and leveraging this mechanism is vital, as cancer cells must evade anoikis to survive and metastasize.
Research Projects
Ongoing research in our lab examines how each of these biological processes regulates the behavior of cancer cells and how each of these therapeutics work on cells. Further, it seeks to use this information to advance novel therapy into ultimate testing in humans, with the goal of developing new treatments that can treat or prevent cancer in people.
Project One
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Qiao, F., Gordon, R., Pattanayak, A., Li, W., Knibbe-Hollinger, J., O’Neill, K., Chen, W., Mukthapuram, P. R., Natarajan, A., & Bergan, R. (2025). A New Class of Precision Therapeutics That Inhibit Prostate Cancer Mediated Bone Destruction. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.20.654990
We are examining the role of cancer cell motility after cells have already moved to bone. We have synthesized a novel therapeutic that binds bone, inhibits cell movement, and demonstrated that it potently inhibits cancer from destroying bone. This is a major problem for patients with prostate, breast, lung, and other cancers. (BioRxiv 2025)
Project Two
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Created with BioRender.com
We are examining the fundamental biological pathways by which cells regulate motility and drive them to become cancer. (Nature Communications 2018, 2019; Molecular Cancer Therapeutics 2020).
Project Three
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Qiao, F., Binkowski, T. A., Broughan, I., Chen, W., Natarajan, A., Schiltz, G. E., Scheidt, K. A., Anderson, W. F., & Bergan, R. (2024). Protein Structure Inspired Discovery of a Novel Inducer of Anoikis in Human Melanoma. Cancers, 16(18), 3177. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16183177
We are examining the mechanism of action by which a potent inducer of anoikis operates in cancer cells. (Cancers 2024).
Bergan Lab Team
Alumni
