The Brindusa Truta Lab studies inflammatory bowel diseases, specifically Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Recent studies defined factors associated with the development of Crohn's disease after ileal pouch anal anastomosis; determined the value of histology in identifying Lynch syndrome in early-onset of colorectal cancer patients; and compared the phenotype and genotype in adenomatous polyposis patients with and without a family history.

Research in the Francis Giardiello Lab focuses on the study of cancer and cancer chemoprevention in the gastrointestinal tract. This has included the investigation of the genetic basis of familial colorectal cancer and the use of genetic testing in the hereditary forms of colorectal cancer. We have a continuing interest in the study of the genotypic-phenotypic correlations in polyposis syndromes, which include familial adenomatous polyposis, juvenile polyposis and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

The Franck Housseau Lab focuses on the role of the microbiome in colorectal tumorigenesis and on developing a better understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment. The lab is currently working to define the biomarkers of a pre-existing antitumor immune response in metastatic colorectal cancer to define a population of patients eligible for checkpoint blockade therapies.

Zheng’s research focuses on two R01-funded projects; first, the group has developed a pancreatic cancer immunotherapy research program on a neoadjuvant therapy platform as well as a number of preclinical models of pancreatic cancer for developing innovative immunotherapy strategies. The group has applied the knowledge gained from pancreatic cancer immune-based therapies to the development of a colorectal cancer GVAX vaccine. Second, the group is aimed at understanding the mechanistic roles of the tumor microenvironment in cancer development and metastasis and identifying new targets for pancreatic cancer therapies by dissecting the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer.

The Linda Smith-Resar Lab primarily investigates hematologic malignancy and molecular mechanisms that lead to cancer as well as sickle cell anemia. Recent studies suggest that education is an important and effective component of a patient blood management program and that computerized provider order entry algorithms may serve to maintain compliance with evidence-based transfusion guidelines. Another recent study indicated that colonic epithelial cells undergo metabolic reprogramming during their evolution to colorectal cancer, and the distinct metabolites could serve as diagnostic tools or potential targets in therapy or primary prevention.