Research Interests:

• Circulating Tumor Cells for Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis

  Early detection of cancer and monitoring of cancer therapy are critical in increasing the chances of survival. The CBRP is developing and testing an innovative instrument and method to greatly improve both the early detection of breast cancer and help improve disease progression monitoring.

  Metastasis, the major cause of mortality in patients with cancer, is caused by tumor cells that escape from the primary tumor into the bloodstream and travel through the circulation to distant sites where they develop into secondary tumors. Although these circulating tumor cells (CTCs) provide a link between the primary tumor and metastatic sites, the factors involved in circulating tumor cell survival in the blood circulation and eventual metastases are not well understood.

  CTCs exist in the peripheral blood of cancer patients in low concentrations, making their isolation and identification a difficult task. Our laboratory has developed a reliable way to detect and to characterize CTCs isolated from the blood of cancer patients. We currently have multiple on-going clinical trials aimed to investigate the clinical utility of CTCs.
  To read more please visit cancer.scripps.edu

• FOUR DIMENSIONAL FLUID BIOPSY CENTER (4DB)
  
  The Physics and Mathematics of Metastasis across Time and Space

  This center is a part of collaborative network of 12 Physical Science-Oncology Centers (PS-OCs), funded by The National Cancer Institute (NCI). NCI Grant Number: U54CA143906

  Our PS-OC is organized around collaboration between
  TSRI, OHSU, USC,Scripps Clinic, UCSD Moor’s Cancer Center and Billings Clinic.
  Our center investigates heterogeneity of fluid phase biopsies in cancer to provide a new fundamental understanding of the physical processes of cancer metastasis in patients with epithelial cancers across the dimension of space in the human organism and over the dimension of time during the course of disease measure and model the four-dimensional. For more info please visit: http://physicsoncology.org

• JCIMPT: JCSG Center for Innovative Membrane Protein Technologies

  The mission of JCIMPT is to develop and disseminate methods and technolgies for structure-grade production of integral membrane proteins. Miniaturization and automation are major components in the systematic investigation of membrane proteins and in the development of novel genetically engineered expression systems and sample preparation technologies. The structure of the JCIMPT includes three primary projects: Membrane Protein Expression; Membrane Protein Stablization; and Membrane Protein Biophysical Analysis.
  To read more please visit jcimpt.scripps.edu

• GPCR Network: Understanding Human GPCR Biology
  • 

  • Using a protein family specific platform, the GPCR Network will work closely with the GPCR community to determine the HIGH RESOLUTION STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION of GPCRs distributed broadly across the phylogenetic family tree. The easily accessible and open data will create a dynamic and informative
    GPCR-Network of value to the entire scientific community.

    To read more please visit gpcr.scripps.edu

• C-ME: Collaborative Molecular Modelling Environment:

  In collaboration with Interknowlogy, LLC (Carlsbad, CA) and support from Microsoft, Inc., we have developed and are further improving a software client named C-ME to enable improved collaboration among scientists. C-ME uses the latest Microsoft technologies, Vista, Office 2007 and Sharepoint 2007.
  To read more please visit c-me.scripps.edu