Ite A. Offringa

Ite A. Offringa is a Professor of Surgery and Cancer Biology at the University of Southern California (USC) Keck School of Medicine. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Leiden in 1991 and a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School from 1991–1996 before joining USC faculty in 1996.

• Fields of Expertise
• Lung Cancer (Adenocarcinoma & Small Cell)
• Epigenetics & DNA Methylation
• Transcriptomics & Single-Cell Analysis
• Biomolecular Interactions & Protein Engineering
• Early Detection Biomarkers
• Health Equity in Cancer Research

The Offringa laboratory investigates epigenetic mechanisms in lung cancer, focusing on DNA methylation patterns in primary lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Her team explores how environmental exposures alter the lung epigenome and integrates genomic/epigenomic data to identify precancerous lesions and early detection markers. They also analyze immune responses in SCLC and utilize the SwitchSENSE DRX2 Biosensor for biomolecular interaction studies.

Her research spans lung biology, cancer development, and translational applications. Key projects include:

• Epigenetic basis of alveolar development
• Role of single nucleotide polymorphisms in cancer risk
• Protein engineering for drug development
• Health equity initiatives (CaRE2 Summer Program)

Grants and funding sources include:

• National Institutes of Health
• American Lung Association
• Canary Foundation
• Department of Defense
• Private donors (Mettler, Pembroke, Zygielbaum families, etc.)