The research of David Linehan, M.D., head of the section, focuses on the cell-mediated immune response to cancer. Specifically, his investigations in the laboratory explore tumor antigen identification and the design and development of dendritic cell vaccines for the treatment of pancreas cancer. In addition, Linehan’s lab focuses on the detection of micrometastases in patients with pancreatic, bile duct and hepatic malignancies.
Steven M. Strasberg, M.D., the Pruett Professor of Surgery and Carl Moyer Departmental Teaching Coordinator, conducts clinical and basic research in gastrointestinal surgery. Strasberg directs a research program that studies intracellular events leading to organ damage during liver preservation and develops strategies to prohibit these. His research is funded by an RO1 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation.
The research effort of William Hawkins, M.D., focuses on novel approaches to cancer therapy. His lab has a drug development program concentrating on the design of novel, dual-domain molecules capable of cancer-selective intracellular delivery of pro-apoptotic molecules. Several novel therapeutics have been designed, and a few are in various stages of characterization and testing. The second main project uses immunologic tools and animal models to design and optimize vaccines targeting pancreatic cancer. Projects are available to surgical residents and can be tailored to the individual’s interests. Currently, residents have projects that span the entire spectrum of translational research including receptor identification, basic drug design, in vitro testing, animal testing and one clinical trial of a novel therapeutic. Most residents will choose two basic science projects and a small prospective clinical project during a two-year research fellowship. The lab is funded by the federal government and by the American Cancer Society, The American Association for Cancer Research, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation, the Siteman Cancer Center, PanCAN and Gateway for Cancer Research.