Cancer Biology & Genetics Program
The Mara Sherman Lab
Research

Associate Professor
The Mara Sherman lab aims to understand the heterocellular interactions among pancreatic cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment, and to target these networks for therapeutic benefit. Our research focuses on the tumor-permissive molecular mechanisms underlying cancer-associated fibroblast function as well as immune suppression, and how these stromal mechanisms affect cell fate and function in the pancreatic epithelium with respect to gene expression, metabolism, and cancer cell state. Our laboratory uses a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the mechanistic underpinnings of the pancreatic tumor microenvironment, including mouse models of pancreatic cancer, three-dimensional cell culture systems such as patient-derived organoids, and diverse molecular- and cell-biological techniques enabling investigation of the mechanisms underlying tumor-stroma interaction.
Research Projects
Publications
Abrego J.*, Sanford-Crane H.*, Oon C., Xiao X., Betts C.B., Sun D., Nagarajan S., Bhattacharyya S., Xia Z., Coussens L.M., Tontonoz P., Sherman M.H. (2022). A cancer cell-intrinsic GOT2-PPAR axis suppresses antitumor immunity. Cancer Discovery. 12(10):2414-2433. (*Co-first author)
Helms E.J., Berry M.W., Chaw R.C., DuFort C.C., Sun D., Onate M.K., Oon C., Bhattacharyya S., Sanford-Crane H., Horton W., Finan J.M., Sattler A., Makar R., Dawson D.W., Xia Z., Hingorani S.R., Sherman M.H. (2022). Mesenchymal lineage heterogeneity underlies non-redundant functions of pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts. Cancer Discovery. 12(2):484-501.
People

Mara Sherman, PhD
Associate Professor
- The Mara Sherman lab aims to understand the heterocellular interactions among pancreatic cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment, and to target these networks for therapeutic benefit.
- PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
- [email protected]
- Email Address
Members




Postdoctoral Fellow
Staff Scientist

Postdoctoral Fellow
Graduate Student

Research Assistant

Administrative Assistant
Research Assistant
Lab Affiliations
Achievements
- Lustgarten Foundation Therapeutics Focused Research Program awardee (2021)
- Pew-Stewart Scholar Award (2020)
- American Cancer Society Research Scholar Grant (2018)
- V Foundation V Scholar Award (2017)
- NIH/NCI K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award (2015)
Open Positions
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Open Positions
Get in Touch
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Lab Head Email