Photo of Er, Ekrem Emrah

Ekrem Emrah Er, PhD

Assistant Professor

Department of Physiology and Biophysics

College of Medicine

Contact

Building & Room:

COMRB 1113

Address:

909 S. Wolcott Ave. MC 901

Office Phone:

312-355-8070

Email:

eer@uic.edu

Related Sites:

Lab Location

Building & Room:

COMRB 1140

About

Our lab focuses on understandinghow mechanochemical signal transduction (mechanotransduction) within the tumor microenvironment impacts the interactions between cancer cells, vascular stromal cells and immunity during the outgrowth of lethal metastases.

Research Currently in Progress

Our lab focuses on understanding how mechanotransduction, specifically activation of YAP/TAZ and MRTFA/B transcriptional program within the tumor microenvironment impacts the interactions between cancer cells, vascular stromal cells and immunity during the outgrowth of lethal metastases. We employ sophisticated ex vivo organotropic models, 2D and 3D multi-cellular in vitro systems, immuno-competent mouse models of metastatic colonization and utilize real-time confocal imaging, patient samples, atomic force microscopy, and bioinformatics. Our goal is to gain new mechanistic insights into cancer metastasis in order to identify novel points of therapeutic intervention, biomarkers of patient survival and therapy response.