Damaghi Research Lab
Mehdi Damaghi, PhD
- Assistant Professor, Department of Pathology, Renaissance School of Medicine
Office: (631) 216-2920
Email: Mehdi.Damaghi@stonybrookmedicine.edu
Stony Brook Cancer CenterMART building, 9th floor, 9M0802
Lauterbur Drive
Stony Brook, NY 11794-7263
Research Program
Department
Research Interest
Evolution of metabolic phenotypes in variable tumor microenvironment
The central aim of my lab research is to use ecological-evolutionary principles to understand the molecular mechanism of breast and ovarian cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis through adaptation to the microenvironment. I hypothesize that evolution of new metabolic phenotypes under variable microenvironment selection can drive cancer through metabolic reprogramming linked to epigenetics and transcription factor activation and stabilization.
We study how tumor adaptation can shape the new microenvironment and metabolism that create emerging selective pressures. This interplay between tumor cells and their environment plays a fundamental role in the development of an ever-changing tumor ecosystem, leading to more genotypic heterogeneity and phenotypic plasticity. We integrate single-cell genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and pathomics analyses to capture the heterogeneity and plasticity of cancer cells in their natural context.
Here are the main four projects in the lab:
- Project 1: Ecology and Evolution of Breast Carcinogenesis
- Project 2: Metabolic phenotypes present in DCIS to stratify disease progression and upstaging
- Project 3: Co-evolution of tumor and stroma in breast cancer
- Project 4: Evolution of resistant phenotype to PARPi in ovarian cancer: genotypic heterogeneity vs phenotypic plasticity
Education
- BSc in Molecular and Cell Biology - Genetics, Chamran University, Ahavz, Iran
- MSc in Biochemistry, TMU, Tehran, Iran
- PhD in Cell Biology and Genetic Engineering, Max Planck Institute, Dresden, Germany
