Poulikos Poulikakos PhD

Our laboratory investigates kinase regulation and oncogenic signaling using small molecule inhibitors. We exploit the selectivity of these compounds to interrogate the complexity of growth factor signaling networks that promote transformation, tumor maintenance and drug resistance. We are currently focused on inhibitors of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signaling, a pathway deregulated in a third of human tumors, including the vast majority of melanomas. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of oncogenic signaling and use this knowledge to develop mechanism-based therapeutic strategies in cancer.