The Cell Biology Program at SKI is focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms that control normal cell behavior and how these are disrupted in cancer. Our mission is to identify, through the advancement of knowledge in cell biology, alterations that promote cancer progression and new opportunities for treating the disease. We carry out much of our work through multidisciplinary collaborations with research groups across SKI and the wider MSK research community. Several of our investigators share an interest in chromatin biology and participate in the Center for Epigenetics Research at MSK.
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Our research activities span the following areas:
- signal transduction pathways
- cell division
- cell differentiation
- epigenetics
- cell death
- metabolism
- cell and tissue morphogenesis
- cell migration
- animal models
- drug discovery
Cell Biology Program Adjunct Kristian Helin (right) with postdoctoral fellow Laurie Herviou
Our Faculty
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Lydia Finley, PhD
Lydia Finley studies the mechanisms that link metabolic pathways to cell fate decisions. -
Xuejun Jiang, PhD
Interim Chair, Cell Biology Program
Cell biologist Xuejun Jiang studies programmed cell death, molecular mechanisms, and their roles in tumorigenesis. -
Philipp Niethammer, PhD
Cell biologist Philipp Niethammer investigates tissue damage responses with advanced imaging approaches in zebrafish. -
Alban Ordureau, PhD
Alban Ordureau explores molecular signaling pathways that regulate cellular homeostasis, with a focus on the ubiquitin and autophagy systems.
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Michael Overholtzer, PhD
Cell biologist Michael Overholtzer studies the mechanisms of tumor initiation and progression, cell adhesion, and cell death. -
Marilyn Resh, PhD
Cell biologist Marilyn Resh investigates the regulation of protein function by fatty acylation, and the development of Hedgehog palmitoylation inhibitors to block pancreatic and lung cancer. -
Meng-Fu Bryan Tsou, PhD
Cell biologist Meng-Fu Bryan Tsou studies cell cycle control of centrosome duplication and degeneration, as well as cilia assembly and disassembly.
Adjunct Faculty
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Kristian Helin, PhD
Cancer biologist Kristian Helin studies how genetic and epigenetic mechanisms affect transcription and cell-fate decisions, and how their deregulation contributes to cancer.
Emeritus
Collaborations & Resources
SKI offers a wide array of core facilities and other technologies, as well as significant opportunity for collaboration. Scientists in the Cell Biology Program derive particular benefit from close ties to the following:
